WINONA, Minn. — Wayne William Ledebuhr, 74, of Winona, whose fascination with flight dated to childhood, died Thursday while landing his ultralight aircraft at the Winona airport. His family said in an obituary that he died doing what he loved: “Soaring through the skies above the town where he was born.” He earned a pilot’s license in his 20s. By age 28 he had made 500 sky dives. His schooling began in the one-room school house in Homer, then grade school at Washington-Kosciusko on the Winona East End. He started college at Winona State and earned a computer science degree at Aurora University in northern Illinois He was acting president of the Experimental Aircraft Association in Winona. He enjoyed “deep conversations” with fellow pilots at Winona airport hangars and hearing their stories. He owned several Hobie Cat sailboats over the years, a speedboat, and a pontoon bat. He regaled family and friends with tales about flying and Mississippi River boating. The family called him a “singular figure” with a dedication to others, a curiosity, and an adventurous spirit.
Details: Watkowski-Mukyck Funeral Home
1952-2026