Umpire’s Family is Safe at Home

Tom Wendt might have been cherishing the solitude he so richly earned as he approaches his twilight years.

After raising four children with his wife, Fran, Wendt might have been looking forward to quiet evenings after a hard day’s work. After all, this is a man who frequently puts in overtime hours as a machinist and then squeezes in baseball, softball, basketball and volleyball officiating assignments on the side.

Instead, the 51-year-old Racine, Wis., resident happily returns every night to a lively home where two adopted foster children, 10-year-old Jazzy and two-year-old Abby, plus a third child they took in shortly after he was born, 18-year-old Ricky, greet him at the front door.

All come with afflictions. Abby had a lung removed one month into her life, Jazzy has chronic lung problems and Ricky has emotional and mental health problems. But they all have a perfectly healthy heart.

“We did it to give the kids a secure place to come to, to see what a home is supposed to be like,” Wendt said. “I think that’s what keeps you young. My motto is, ‘If you rest, you rust.’”

In that case, Wendt needn’t worry. In addition to the three children with whom they live, the Wendts have brought 56 foster children into their modest three-bedroom ranch home.

If you want to suggest Wendt doesn’t need all this commotion after the sacrifices he’s made to raise his four biological children, he’ll politely tell you to speak for yourself. “It’s just nice seeing them when you come to the door,” he said. “My biological kids were always here. Now I come home and these kids look forward to seeing me.”

Then Tom becomes a young father all over again, reminding him of the days he raised his four children — daughters Rosie and Rita and sons Tom and Joe.

As much as Tom cherishes time with his “new” children, what about the thought of taking time off with his wife?

“We used to say we were going to take off once a year and take a vacation just for the two of us,” Fran said. “It doesn’t happen because those children need you. It’s more Tom. I work with them day to day because he still does both jobs. If he didn’t do both of his jobs, we couldn’t afford it.”

Ten years after taking in their first foster child, the Wendts may have started a family tradition.

“My kids have seen what children need,” Fran said. “Rita has gone into working at Children’s Hospital (in Milwaukee) with special kids. And Rosie and her husband are now in the process of adopting a child.”

Written by Peter Jackel, a longtime sportswriter from Racine, Wis.