Wendie Ann Dockstader

A woman ahead of her time, Wendie was taken too soon. Ahead of most of us in thought, word and deed, Wendie embodied grace, generosity, intellectual curiosity, and genuine love for her fellow-humans. She did not judge. She always did her best and was willing to lend a hand to ANYONE in need. Her life’s work--in a myriad fields--reflected her deep commitment to equality; justice; social equity, and environmental advocacy. Not only was her heart fully engaged, but her academic and intellectual pursuits made her a well-informed, geo-political activist. She left our small town of St. Ansgar behind to pursue academic studies at The University of Iowa in Iowa City. There she completed her undergraduate degree with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. Iowa City became her home base, where she made countless friends as she worked in and managed several bars and restaurants in town. She also rode her bike across Iowa, participating in RAGBRAI, countless times. Upon achieving her degree, she pursued professional employment as a research assistant in University of Iowa Medical Labs. Forever intent on making a difference, in 2006, she volunteered to serve in the United States Peace Corps, completing training and being assigned to teach high school in Namibia, Africa. Wendie was assigned to teach Physical Science, Life Science and Mathematics in the Erongo Region of Namibia at S.I.!Gobs Senior Secondary School. S.I.!Gobs is a cluster school that serves the children of several villages. She reported directly to the principal of the school, and was responsible for teaching science and math to 9th through 12th grade students. A gifted athlete, Wendie also coached basketball and volleyball for the school, fundraising with bake sales to buy sports equipment for her players. Upon returning to the states in 2008, she resumed her laboratory work and was rehired by Dr. S. Ramaswamy as a Research Assistant, where her efforts to optimize protein expression and purification protocols led her to accompany Dr. Ramaswamy, as a visiting fellow and lab manager, to Bangalore, India. There, she designed and equipped a new lab space for Dr. S. Ramaswamy and Dr. J. Dhawan at the National Center for Biological Sciences Campus. While she loved her work with synthetic proteins, she didn’t love India: “too much bacteria” is how she described it. She returned to Iowa City in the spring of 2012. Upon her return, she was quickly hired by the University of Iowa, Environmental Health and Safety Department as a biosafety specialist where she designed and implemented research safety protocols for a decade. She was a dedicated and tireless worker. Most recently, she adopted two fur-babies/kittens, named Cali and Max, indoor cats who now need a safe and forever home. Wendie is preceded in death by both her parents, Becky Marie (Gruhn) Dockstader and Walter Edson Dockstader and her oldest sister, Christine Elizabeth (Dockstader) Wadman and her husband, Larry Wadman. Wendie is survived by her sisters, Julie M. Schroeder (Melvin), Mary M. Sommerfeld (Allen), Holly R. Schwarck (Rick), Kelly A. Shanahan (Sean), and her brothers, her twin, Peter O. Dockstader and John E. Dockstader (Lisa) and many nieces and nephews. Wendie’s ashes will be buried with her parents in the Immanuel Lutheran Church Cemetery in St. Ansgar, Iowa. Arrangements for a celebration of Wendie will be forthcoming.