Arne W. Liechty

Arne W. Liechty, 86, went to be with his Lord and Savior on January 28, 2022.  He was born to Rufus and Thelma (Agler) Liechty on August 16, 1935.  He married Lori (Neuenschwander) Brigner on April 30, 1993.

A native of Berne, Arne was a 1953 graduate of Berne High School, and later graduated from Midwestern School of Broadcasting in Chicago, Illinois. He was a disc jockey at WERT in Van Wert, Ohio and WAFX and WOWO in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  He was known to his listeners as “Arne Wayne”.

He served in the Air National Guard of Indiana as a petty officer in the Air Force Reserve.  He was called into active duty during the Berlin Wall Crisis and was stationed in France as a Fire Protection Specialist.

Upon his return, Arne joined his parents in running the family business, Liechty’s Foods, Inc., and he eventually became the sole owner.  He retired from that position in 2000 and enjoyed driving semi on a part-time basis for Berne Apparel, Smith Brothers, and Lotter Farms.

Arne was a previous member of Bethel Brethren Church where he was a Sunday school teacher.  He recently became a member of First Missionary Church in Berne. He served on various boards and committees over the years including the Adams County Memorial Hospital Board, South Adams Arts Council, and Chairman of the Adams County Young Republicans.

As a lifelong fan of the Cincinnati Reds, Arne enjoyed attending many games during his 34 years as a season ticket holder.  He entertained several of the players from The Big Red Machine in his home back in the 1970’s when baseball was at its finest.  He sponsored the Berne Little League Liechty’s Foods Reds team and also helped with coaching.

Arne raced midget cars and enjoyed watching NASCAR races.  He was enthralled with aviation and maintained his pilot’s license for many years.  He was an avid traveler and was involved in numerous theater productions locally and at the Fort Wayne Civic Center.

His memory will be cherished by the family who survives him, including his wife, Lori; daughters, Lorna Pulido, Heather (Kurt) Dailey, and Holli Brigner; son, Zachary Liechty, all of Berne; grandsons, Christopher (Lauren) Collins of Volo, Illinois, Kolton (Sydney) Dailey, and Keegan (Bailey) Dailey all of Berne; brother-in-law, Don (Pauline) Haines of Bluffton; nephews, Dan (Robin) Haines of Geneva and David (Renee) Haines of Portland; and niece, Deanna (David) Rinehart of Markle.

Arne was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Earlon; sister, Una Haines; and father and mother-in-law, LeOrace “LeDale” and Elizabeth “Betty” Neuenschwander.

A service to honor Arne’s life will be held at 10:30 a.m. on February 2, 2022 at the First Missionary Church in Berne with Rev. Nathan Patterson and Rev. Rick Schwartz presiding.  Calling will be held from 2:00 p.m to 8:00 p.m on Tuesday, February 1, 2022 at Zwick and Jahn Funeral Home, Yager-Kirchhofer Chapel, Berne, Indiana and one hour prior to the service at First Missionary Church on Wednesday. Memorials can be made to The Hope Clinic of Berne and Decatur or to Freedom Honor Flight.