Wade Paul Hicks, 86, Harrisonville, Missouri, died Monday, December 14, 2015 at his home. Funeral services were held at Thursday, December 17 at the Faith Baptist Church in Harrisonville. Burial in Urich Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Faith Baptist Church memorial fund, Harrisonville VFW, or Salvation Army.

Wade was born March 11, 1929 in Clinton, Henry County, Missouri, one of eight children born to Abner Eugene and Vena (Marquis) Hicks. Abner was the son of John Franklin Hicks and Ellen Halsey Hicks of Schell City, Missouri. Ellen was from a long line of the English Halsey family who settled on Staten Island, New York in the 1600's and John's family migrated to Missouri from Wayne County, Kentucky in the late 1850's.

Wade grew up in Clinton, Missouri. He enlisted in the Air Force on November 21, 1947 and was inducted at Ft. Riley, Kansas when he was 18 years of age. He served as a Crew Chief on the first Fighter Jet Airplanes. He achieved the rating of Staff Sergeant, serving in the 49th Fighting 5th Air Force. He was a veteran of the Korean conflict, serving most of his time there. He was discharged on November 20, 1951 at Wilmington Air Force Base in Delaware. Upon his discharge, he worked as a projectionist at theatres in Clinton, Missouri; a manager at Clinton and the Drive-In Theatre in Harrisonville (where he met his wife) and a projectionist in Lawrence, Kansas before he and his wife settled back in Missouri in October 1954.

Wade and Betty Jean Davidson were married on October 3, 1953 in Harrisonville, Missouri, at the Baptist Parsonage on West Wall Street in Harrisonville, Missouri. He worked for MFA, Inc. for 35 years until his retirement in 1991. He and Betty lived in Harrisonville for 5 years and then built a home on 3 acres of her girlhood home farm north of Harrisonville which Betty's parents had purchased when she was 9 years of age. They continued to live there for their lifetime. Wade loved to fish and hunt. His other loves were sports - baseball, basketball, and football.

Wade was preceded in death by his parents, daughter-in-law, Rhonda Grebing, three sisters and four brothers. He is survived by his wife, Betty, of the home; one son, Michael E. Hicks, daughter-in-law, Donna Oetting Hicks; two grandsons, John Michael Hicks and David Paul Hicks; two step-grandchildren; four step-great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.