Lyle D Wirth

Lyle D Wirth, 91 of Casper, Wyoming went home to be with his Lord and Savior on April 30, 2024, surrounded by his family.

Lyle was born in Casper, Wyoming to Don and Violet Wirth on October 28, 1932, and spent the first years of his life on the family homestead on the west fork of Deer Creek in Natrona County before the family moved into town so that he and his sister Nema Jean could attend school. He lived in Casper, Arkansas, Ohio, and California during his school years.

Lyle graduated high school in Dos Palos, California in 1950 where he also worked on a dairy farm milking cows and doing other farm chores, such as plowing, planting, and stacking bales of hay.  He joined the US Navy in January 1951, fulfilling a childhood dream of “pushing a white hat”.

Lyle met and courted Donna Marlene Doyle in Casper, and they were married on July 12, 1952, after she followed him to San Francisco where his ship was in port at the time. Donna was the love of his life, and they were married for 65 years until her death in 2017.   Lyle and Donna had three sons, Don, born in New Mexico, Doug, born in Nevada, Dave, born in California, and later added a daughter, Karyn, born in Florida.

Lyle earned numerous service ribbons, medals, and commendations while in the Navy, serving in the Korean War and Viet Nam as well as one tour in the Mediterranean aboard the USS Franklin D Roosevelt CVA 42, although he always considered himself a “Tin Can” sailor and absolutely loved serving on the USS Somers DD947. Lyle served as a nuclear weapons inspector and a storekeeper while serving on five different ships and at several shore duty stations during his career, including the USS Toledo, CA133, a heavy cruiser and the first ship on which he crossed the equator while he was aboard where he participated in the King Neptune ceremony.

Lyle’s family followed him in his service up and down the west coast, to Japan and then to Florida, as he pursued his dream career. Lyle was very proud of having served his country in the US Navy from 1951 to 1973, retiring as a Master Chief Petty Officer (E9), the highest enlisted rank in the Navy at that time, in Mayport, Florida.

After his retirement from the Navy, Lyle and his family returned to Casper where he worked at the Dave Johnson Power Plant as an Operator until his retirement in 1994.

Lyle always had a very strong work ethic and a “can do” attitude which he passed on to his children. He always said that you could do anything you wanted to do if you just put your mind to it and worked hard.

Lyle loved hunting and fishing and spent his retirement driving a motorhome on many adventures traveling throughout the United States including driving the Alcan Highway through Canada and into Alaska.

Most of all, Lyle deeply loved his family and the time that they all spent together no matter what they were doing.  In his later years, he enjoyed sitting back and watching his grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren play. Lyle put his faith in Christ while at Nellis Baptist Church in Las Vegas, NV in 1956.  Since 2017, Lyle attended Calvary Baptist Church in Casper until his failing health kept him home the last few months.

Lyle is survived by his sons Don Wirth (Dee) of Eagle River, AK, Doug Wirth of Casper, Dave Wirth (Terry) of Glenrock, Wyoming and one daughter Karyn (Darrick) Ducello of Casper, as well as 7 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren, and four great-great grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews and other relatives.

Lyle was preceded in death by his parents Don and Violet Wirth, his sister Nema Jean Jeffries, grandson Aaron Wirth, and his wife Donna Wirth.

The family will receive visitors on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, from 12:00-1:00 pm at Calvary Baptist Church in Casper followed immediately by the service at 1:00 pm. A committal service with full military honors will be held at Oregon Trail State Veterans Cemetery in Evansville, WY at 2:30 pm immediately following the service.

In lieu of flowers, Lyle humbly requested memorials be made to Calvary Academy in Casper, Wyoming for student scholarships or to Central Wyoming Hospice and Transitions, who guided us through the last six months.

Fair Winds and Following Seas, Master Chief. Go rest high on that mountain, your work on earth is done. Well done, thou good and faithful servant.