Editor's Note: This story was updated at 4:17 p.m. to add details provided by the family.
The co-owner of Pappy’s Place BBQ, a long-lived restaurant near downtown Springfield, has died, according to a company Facebook post published Thursday.
“It is with very heavy hearts and great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Wayne Rader,” the post said. “He is loved by many, and he will be greatly missed.”
Wayne and Susan, his wife of 16 years, have owned Pappy’s Place since 2019, but have long been figures in north Springfield’s Grant Beach neighborhood, owning several other properties up and down Main Street, including a bed and breakfast and the “Rader Manor.”
“We could buy a turd and turn it into gold,” Susan told the Daily Citizen Thursday afternoon. “That was just the gift that we had together.”
Susan said that Wayne had struggled with substance abuse, and in the end, “that's what got him.”
“Everybody that knew Wayne knew his demons,” she said. “...He didn't have his problems all of the time, but when he did, it was really hard.”
But Susan said that it was heaven most of the time and everybody loved him.
“We loved each other like crazy,” she said. “We were each other's best friends and then also, our worst enemies because he would talk me into stuff and I could talk him into stuff and then we just got ourselves into sh*t that we didn't know. That's how we got into Pappy's.”
Under different names and ownership, Pappy’s Place is one of the oldest restaurants in Springfield, dating back to 1926.
Earlier this month, they purchased the dilapidated building adjacent to Pappy’s and had renovation plans that would convert it into an indoor live music venue called “Pappy’s English Pub,” which was slated to open by April 1. Currently, Pappy’s Place can only host live music on their outdoor patio.
Wayne and Susan detailed their plans for the future and reflected on the past last week with the Daily Citizen. In just three years in the 97-year history of the restaurant, Wayne left his mark on Pappy’s Place and Springfield and helped the BBQ eatery built for 1926 thrive in 2023.
Susan said that she still plans to move forward with Pappy's English Pub, but needed some time to reassess the plans and timeline.
Pappy’s Place will remain closed until Tuesday, Jan. 24, according to the Facebook post.
