Wade D. Compton

Wade D. Compton

January 30, 1956 - August 15, 2026

When he was born on Jan 30, 1956, Wade Douglas Compton had no way of knowing that the name chosen for him would be the definition of the final years of his life.

Wade died August 15 at the age of 70 from complications of a very aggressive lymphoma.

Derived from the Old English word “wadan” - the name Wade literally means “to go, to advance, or to cross a river.” Wade crossed the Wekiva River three times a week for the past several years. His favorite place was in front of the stream that ran behind his Longwood home. And up until the last six months when the cancer sapped him of his strength he ran regularly - culminating in his dream of running the Boston Marathon.

Wade was born in Waterloo, Iowa and spent his early years in the even more minuscule town of Ludlow, Illinois. In 1965 the Compton family took the momentous step of moving to Orlando where his father Cliff worked at the Orlando Naval Training Center.

Wade attended Oviedo High School and Seminole State College. He was employed by the National Linen Service and later by Aramark Uniform Services as a route driver for the bulk of his career. He was a proud member of the Teamsters Union and a vocal proponent of workers' rights.

In 1982 his passionate pursuit of Jennifer Boswell paid off when they were married in Winter Park. Their son Jason was born on Tax Day in 1986.

Likely due to his innate ability to laughingly predict the worst possible outcome for just about any task he pursued he was drawn to sports that offered true and tangible results - like running. He completed more than 20 marathons and had the distinct honor of running every Ocala Marathon from 1998-2017. And he represented the Orlando Runners Club in a trip to Japan to run the Urayasu half marathon.

He was passionate about history and believed in the importance of preservation, serving as a longtime member of the Longwood Historical Society.

He loved rock and roll and was particularly thrilled when he and Jennifer were pictured on the front page of the Orlando Sentinel when The Rolling Stones played in Orlando in 2025.

Due to his Illinois roots he was a lifelong fan of the Chicago Bears and, just his luck, was devastated when they lost their Super Bowl bid last year.

Anyone who spent time with Wade was aware of his ability to laugh at himself, with a loud and distinctive machine-gun like cadence.

His family will always miss Wade and will strive to emulate his insistence on speaking the truth and always doing things the right way.

In addition to Jennifer and his son Jason, Wade is survived by grandchildren Roman and Reagan, siblings Barbara, Kathryn and Bill. He is predeceased by his parents Clifford and Marilyn and brother Keith.

A celebration of Wade’s life will be held Sept. 6 from 10 am - noon at the Lake Mary Community Center, 140 E. Wilbur Ave. The family asks that in lieu of flowers charitable donations in Wade’s name be sent to the Longwood Historical Society, P.O. Box 520500, Longwood, FL 32752.

To share memories of Wade or to leave a special message of condolence for his family, please visit the virtual guestbook below.