Wesley Allen Josephson, 74, passed away on January 15, 2026, at Ava's House in Sioux Falls, surrounded by his loving family. The family will greet friends for visitation from 3:00 to 5:00 PM on Sunday, January 18, 2026, at Peace Lutheran Church. A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 AM, Monday, January 19, 2026, also at the church. The family would like to invite Wes's friends to drive their classic cars to the service on Monday. There will be designated parking in the small northeast corner parking lot of the church. Memorials may be directed to the American Cancer Society.

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Wes came into this world at 10 pounds, 10 ounces on January 5th, 1952, to Curtiss and Geneva (Johnson) Josephson in Watertown, South Dakota. He grew up in Bryant, South Dakota, and graduated from Bryant High School in 1970. Being 6'9, Wes was a standout in basketball, earning many awards and honors. He also excelled in football and won 1st place in the state track meet in discus in 1969. He was awarded a basketball scholarship at USD in Springfield, South Dakota, where he earned his 2-year carpentry degree. He had an offer to play semi-pro in Florida, but claimed he was tired of playing basketball and didn't want to leave his fiancée, Betty Lou.

Wes was united in marriage to his high school sweetheart, Betty Lou Mulder, on August 19th, 1972. They lived in Watertown until they moved to Bryant, SD, in 1973, where they had three beautiful children and raised them until moving to Sioux Falls, SD, to start the family's next chapter.

Wes loved spoiling his children. Whether it was mudding through the slough with the Jeep, bringing home an 80 Yamaha motorcycle to ride, throwing them on snowmobiles, or getting pulled around snow-packed roads on an inner tube, he really showed them the exciting and adventurous part of life. Wes was also the loudest voice in the gym, cheering his kids on in their sports. On the wrestling mat, Eric and Animal can hear the quote "squeeze" from Dad, and it is unmistakable. At the same time, Wendy would always hear that voice from anywhere in the gym telling her "rebound". You just knew when you were around him that nothing else mattered besides the success and happiness of his kids.

Wes and Betty Lou were married for 53 years and truly loved doing everything together. He utilized his carpentry degree for several years until he began working at W.W Tire in Bryant. Many knew "Tire Iron" in his yellow Michelin truck, including the law, as he had a heavy foot! Betty always made sure to remind him that she could paper the house with all his speeding tickets! Wes began Josephson Alignment and Exhaust in the early 80's, which included portable on-site semi truck alignments, a "unique" service at the same time. He dispatched for Petroleum Carriers of Sioux Falls and shortly after, started his own tire company. Later, he worked as a shop foreman for TBI trucking until his retirement in 2019.

Wes had no trouble keeping himself busy and found enjoyment when working with vehicles, rebuilding and fixing everything. He restored two '64 Chevy pick-ups, his '63 Chevy Impala, and his '55 Chevy. He built 3 Boss Hoss motorcycles and did a conversion kit on his 2014 Road King, converting it to a Trike, which is no easy task. Jumping on his Harley or working on one of his vintage vehicles was truly his passion. Many enjoyed the annual "Josephson Run" for several years, where family and friends would gather and ride their motorcycles while sharing lifelong memories.

Throughout his life, Wes enjoyed hunting, snowmobiling, and racing. His business, Sioux Falls Tire, sponsored stock and sprint car racers, pitted for his sponsored drivers, and sold fuel at Huset's 1 year. "Fast" should have been Wes's middle name! Wes was Fire Chief on the Bryant Volunteer Fire Department for 14 years, and served on the Bryant Centennial committee for three years.

Wes loved being with his grandkids and following all their sports and activities. In fact, Wes let them get away with almost anything, even though Grandma Betty Lou would disapprove!

After his retirement, Wes enjoyed working in his garage, yard, and fish pond. His carpentry education enabled him to do many home and yard improvements as well as fabricating designs for Betty Lou's all-occasion party decorating business. There is no doubt that Wes was a "big guy," but once you got to know him, he truly was a gentle giant.

Wesley fought his cancer battle with courage and positivity. He continued to keep us laughing with his famous one-liners and his crazy life stories.

Wes is survived by his wife, Betty Lou; his two sons, Eric (Ann) and Jeremy (Tami); his daughter, Wendy (Jeff); grandchildren, Cole, Kory (Morgan), Alexis, Jaxon, Sunni, Maddie, Mylie, Breanne, and Amber; great-grandchildren, Vivian and Aiden; brothers-In-law, Terry and Darin (Margaret) Mulder, Elden Anderson; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; sisters, Ginny and Patricia; parents-in-law, Erv and Bev Mulder; and brother-in-law, Dale Mulder.