Wesley Umpleby

Wesley John Umpleby, born July 20, 1964, passed away in the early morning hours on Saturday, June 8, 2024. He was 59. 

Mass of Christian burial will be held at 10:30 AM on Thursday, June 13, 2024, at Spirit of Life Catholic Church, Mandan. Burial will be at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 5-7 PM on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at Weigel Funeral Home, Mandan, with a Parish Vigil at 7 PM.

Wes was the seventh and youngest child of Charles and Geneva Umpleby. He kept his siblings and neighborhood children active. He began his career early, joining his brothers and parents in the family business, Umpleby Lawn Service.

At the age of 16, Wes was injured in a vehicle accident, leaving him quadriplegic. After rehabilitation in Washington State, he came home to Mandan and graduated with his class in 1983. Minneapolis became his new home after graduation. There, he continued his rehabilitation at the Courage Center, and began many lifelong friendships.

In 1988, his sister, JoAnn, and brother-in-law, Paul, moved to Minneapolis to continue his care. Wes loved living with them and their children, Kali and “Little” Wes and took every opportunity to teach them something new. During this time, he attended and graduated from Hamline University and went on to teach Computer Science at Inver Hills Community College and Brown Institute (now Brown College), where he was Teacher of the Year.

In 1999, his niece, Leslie Umpleby, provided care for Wes’ increasingly complex medical needs. Together, they bought a house in St. Paul and raised Leslie’s children while he earned his Master of Science in Information Technology with a Specialization in System Design and Programming from Capella University in 2008.

Wes cherished his “most excellent tunes,” sunny days, and taking his nieces and nephews on outings to the zoo, parks, and concerts. He was always eager to share his knowledge, create lasting memories, and be a source of guidance and support for them.

In 2018, Wes moved home to Mandan to be with his mother. They enjoyed quiet evenings and eating Chinese food together. One of the happiest moments for Wes was to be home in Mandan.  Leslie’s children, Trinity and Trevor, whom Wesley helped raise, were his personal care attendants at the end of his life.

Following a ten-week battle with pneumonia and blood pressure complications, he passed away peacefully in his sleep. 

Wesley is survived by his mother, Geneva Umpleby; two brothers, Dale Umpleby (Deltona, FL) and Layton Umpleby and special friend, Star (Veseli, MN); four sisters and brothers-in-law, Charlene and Simon Zins (New Salem, ND), Becky and Chuck Willer (Bismarck, ND), JoAnn and Paul Evans (Hinckley, MN), and Sue and Tim Brady (Bismarck, ND); 16 nieces and nephews; 27 great nieces and nephews; lifelong friends, John Rohr and George Gerhardt; and all of his other “boyfriends’”, too numerous to mention, you know who you are. 

He was preceded in death by his father, Charles; grandparents, John and Edith Slinde and Daisy and Harry Umpleby; sister-in-law, Julia (Decker) Umpleby; nephew, Charles Umpleby; niece, Linda Weldon; great-nephew, Kobe Weldon; and many beloved aunts, uncles, and cousins. 

Loved son, brother, uncle, teacher, and friend, Wes' impact on those who knew him is immeasurable. He will forever be cherished in our hearts. May he find peace in his eternal rest, where his spirit soars free and his limbs find the joy of walking and running once more.