Eternal rest grant unto Wayne, oh Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Mr. Wayne M. Ondiak
October 14, 1949 ~ March 9, 2026
Born in:
Fort Dix, New Jersey
Resided in:
McLean, Virginia
Wayne M. Ondiak, 76, of McLean, VA, beloved husband, father, and grandfather, passed away on March 9, 2026 after a prolonged stay in the ICU.
Wayne was born on October 14, 1949 to John and Friederika Susan Ondiak in Fort Dix, New Jersey. His father, John was originally from Cleveland, OH and met his mother Susan, in Linz, Austria when he was stationed there during World War II. His father worked for the military and the family moved frequently throughout the world as part of his career. Wayne’s early childhood was marked by schooling in Asmara, Eritrea; Athens, Greece; and Taipei, Taiwan, with brief stints in the United States. After finishing his freshman year of high school in Taipei, he moved to Hagerstown, MD, for his sophomore year, followed by Greenville, NC, for his junior year, and finally Thessaloniki, Greece for his senior year where he attended Pinewood International School and graduated in 1967. Wayne went on to earn his BA in Political Science at Tulane University. After graduation, Wayne landed his first job in the Defense Intelligence Agency in 1973, kicking off a nearly 40 year long foreign service career in the US government. Due to his love and interest in the German language, he was stationed in Bonn, Germany (the capital of West Germany at the time) in 1974. That same year, he met Susan Clark, a teacher at the Department of Defense Elementary School, and they wed on October 9, 1978 in Bern, Switzerland. They went on to have two children, Natalie and Paul.
Wayne loved Germany and lived there from 1974-1994 while pursuing his US government career and lived in many cities including Bremerhaven, Heidelberg, Bonn, Hamburg, and Munich. In 1994 he moved to McLean, Virginia. In 1995, he moved to Luxembourg, followed by Munich, Germany until 2000.
Wayne retired from the government in 2009. When he fully retired in 2020, he spent large amounts of time in St. Johann im Pongau, Austria, to take care of the home his parents built and lived in when they retired and until their deaths. An avid swimmer, biker, and tennis player, he loved the natural beauty of the Austrian Alps, the Greek coast, and the Oregon coast. In his final years, he continued to travel to Germany, Greece, and Austria, practice his German, and audit courses in international relations. For the last several years of his life, he wrote about his life in an unpublished memoir. He said: “Overseas life was the happiest of times for me both as a child and adult.” Wayne loved the good life–traveling the world, enjoying meals with his family, spending time with his grandchildren, and connecting with friends and loved ones throughout the world.
Wayne was predeceased by his parents John and Susan and his brother Michael. Wayne is survived by his wife of 47 years, Susan, his children Natalie Pennington (Paul Pennington) and Paul Ondiak (Christa Ondiak), and his grandchildren, Olivia and Jackson Ondiak and Patrick and Oliver Pennington.
A memorial service will be held on April 25, 2026 at Lewinsville Presbyterian Church in McLean, Virginia.
Services
Memorial Service: April 25, 2026 11:00 am
Lewinsville Presbyterian Church
1724 Chain Bridge Road
McLean, VA 22101
(703) 356-7200
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2026-04-25 11:00:00
2026-04-25 11:00:00
WayneM.OndiakMemorial Service
Memorial Service
1724 Chain Bridge Road,McLean, VA 22101
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