Whatever wild streak Wade German had was largely confined to a circular trail in his own backyard, where he liked to ride dirt bikes with his kids.

He talked about opening a cycle shop some day. But as crazy as he was for motorcycles, he valued the security of his steady job at Kroger more. It was flexible. It was close to home. And it gave him what he wanted most: time with his family.

Family photo (ENLARGE)

Wade German, shown riding his dirt bike, taught his four children about cycling safety.

He grew up in Lilburn, graduated from Berkmar High School in 1982 and kept his focus close to home.

"He was pretty grounded here," said his wife of 16 years, Laura German of Dacula. "He was kind of a homebody in a way. We would go on family vacations and things like that, but he never had an urge to stray too far."

Instead, he started a career with Kroger, worked at several nearby stores and rose to become produce manager at its Braselton Highway location.

Customers recognized him because of his deep ties to the community and his outgoing style.

"A girl came in here just the other day asking about Wade," said his Kroger colleague Bob Grundlock of Dacula.

"He was just so positive and full of life — a very funny, very uplifting person," he said.

"If anybody could have beat this cancer, we always said Wade would be the one to do it."

The funeral for Wade M. German is 4 p.m Thursday at Flanigan Funeral Home. Mr. German, 43, died of complications from cancer Monday at his Dacula residence.

He was first diagnosed with cancer 14 years ago and battled his way through bone marrow transplants and other setbacks.

When he was healthy enough, he rode his favorite motorcycle, a Yamaha V-Max, through the Georgia mountains or along scenic lakeside roads.

Often, though, he confined his adventures to dirt bikes, which he used to teach his four children about cycling safety.

He had a talent for keeping things running — from a creaky old refrigerator to his treasured 1967 Buick Skylark.

"One of the things about being sick is that he couldn't do a lot of the things he wanted to do," his wife said. "Our boys are in baseball, and, of course, he wanted to be right there assisting with their coaching. But he wasn't physically able to do that."

Mr. German managed to squeeze an enormous yield of tomatoes, okra, green beans and other vegetables from his tiny garden, and he became an excellent cook. But the foods he liked to make — potatoes, macaroni and cheese and fried chicken — were a weight watcher's nightmare.

Mr. German met his future wife at Kroger when she was working in the floral department.

"My husband put me through nursing school," she said.

Toward the end of his life, he became a patient in the same oncology unit where she worked as a nurse. As she watched her colleagues offer their best care, she barely left his side.

"He lived his life for us," she said.

Survivors other than his wife include two daughters, Megan Stein and Kayla German, both of Dacula; two sons, James German and Ian German, both of Dacula; his mother, Carole Anderson of Kennesaw; a sister, Paula Radloff of Suwanee; and a brother, Dale German of Cleveland.