Wayne Michael Wilgren of Hudson, Wisconsin, long-time machinist at 3M, outdoor enthusiast, and devoted hockey dad, passed away on September 8, 2024, at age 63 after suffering injuries from a bicycle accident.

Wayne was born on February 16, 1961, in Duluth, Minnesota, to Rodney and Marjorie (O’Hara) Wilgren. His early years were in Wentworth, near the Brule River area in northern Wisconsin, where his life-long love of nature and outdoor adventures began. At age 9, his family moved to Port Washington, Wisconsin, and then to Hudson in 1977.

Wayne graduated from Hudson High School in 1979. He earned his machinist certification at New Richmond technical college and studied resource management at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. He did his apprenticeship at Remmele Engineering in St. Paul, Minnesota, before a 37-year career at 3M, including 17 years as a lead machinist and recent years as a millwright. In serving customers across many 3M shops for decades, he was known for his strong work ethic, as well as his witty word-smithing and clever turn of phrase.

Wayne cherished family time with his son Jon and daughter Anna. He taught them both how to skate as toddlers and shared his love of hockey. He traveled far and wide to watch them play sports — Jon’s football and Anna’s hockey at Minnesota State in Mankato, and women’s hockey at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

With his advanced machinist skills, Wayne enjoyed working on cars and was known to be able to fix just about anything. He generously helped design solutions for random projects for friends, tuned skis, and sharpened countless hockey skates with great precision.

As a child of Wisconsin’s north woods, Wayne became an accomplished woodsman and enjoyed hunting, fishing, canoeing and spending time on the water. He also was a life-long avid skier, worked briefly at Snowcrest in Somerset, Wisconsin, and considered himself lucky that family friends took him skiing in the Rocky Mountains at a young age. In recent years, he skied in Sun Valley, Idaho, and made regular trips to Summit County, Colorado, to ski favorite mountains with his love, Jackie Kinney.

Wayne embraced his Finnish heritage from the Wilgren family line and maintained some of the old family homestead land around the Brule River. He often invoked the Finnish word “sisu,” which means inner strength, determination, and perseverance, qualities that pervaded his own life. He was also known and loved for sharing a good joke and having a good time with family, friends and colleagues.

Wayne appreciated every sunset and treasured taking golden hour walks, especially by the St. Croix River. It was just before sunset when he passed peacefully, surrounded by family and loved ones at his bedside. In the words of Wayne’s favorite artist (and fellow Duluth native) Bob Dylan, the tragic bicycle accident led Wayne to be “knocking on heaven’s door” way too soon.
Wayne will be greatly missed by his survivors, children Jon (Sarah) Wilgren and Anna Wilgren; a grandbaby due in April 2025; sister Cheryl Wilgren (Dean Clyne); niece Rachel (Nathan) Boelke and their children Josh, Ella and Lilja; former wife Karyn Kollitz-Wilgren; aunt Kathy (Scott) Dennis; and several cousins.

Services are Friday, September 20, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. and visitation from 10 to 11 a.m. at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, 1500 Vine Street, in Hudson.