Larry Wayne

James Larry Wayne, 72, of Austin passed away on January 6, 2008 following a lengthy illness. Larry, as he was known his entire life, had been a Manager of Live Haul Trucking for Pilgrim’s Pride Industries in Mount Pleasant, Texas for 23 years until his retirement in 2001. He had been a resident of Pittsburg, Texas during that time and moved to Austin in December 2006 to be closer to family. Larry Wayne was born on February 11, 1935, in the community of Marilla, near Quail, in Collingsworth County, Texas to Lawrence Joel Wayne and Jim Bernice (Jimmie) Pierce Wayne. Larry grew up on the South Plains of West Texas. His family was on the move during the depression and World II and he attended elementary schools in Happy and Tulia, Texas and high school in Tulia, Levelland and Plainview, Texas as well as Daytona Beach, Florida. Larry served in the Texas National Guard and the United States Air Force and attended college at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. Prior to working for Pilgrim’s Pride, Larry had a diverse career; working for the LTV corporation in Dallas, building jet aircraft parts and component parts for the future Skylab Project for NASA; for AT & T Corporation working on the placement and construction of microwave towers across Texas and the United States; he was also involved in the construction of the Alaskan Oil Pipeline at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. Larry was later in private business in Tulia, Texas prior to joining Pilgrim’s Pride. Larry was a member of the First Baptist Church in Pittsburg and was an active member of the Pittsburg community and in the care of his elderly parents who joined him as residents of Pittsburg in 1987. He was a passionate carpenter who bought nearly every tool imaginable and had a workshop that was the envy of any skilled craftsman. Larry is remembered as a caring neighbor and co-worker who loved small town life and once said his life began again ‘when he drove over to live among the pine trees of East Texas.’ Larry regretted having to leave the people and life he built in Pittsburg when his illness would not allow him to remain there. But that was far outweighed by the joy and happy memories that the friends he had lived among and worked with had brought to his life. Larry Wayne is survived by his two sons, Michael and Patrick Wayne, both of Dallas, Texas, two nephews, Reb Wayne of Austin and Tyler Wayne of Dallas, and a brother and sister-in-law, Ralph and Martie Wayne of Austin. His parents preceded him in death. Larry’s family wishes to express its thanks to the staff and management of The Harbor and Buckner Villas Nursing Home in Austin and to the staff of Hospice Austin at the Christopher House for their caring and kindness for Larry during his illness. Graveside services for family and friends will be conducted at Eastlawn Memorial Gardens in Brownwood, Texas on Saturday, January 12th at 2:00 pm. Arrangements are being handled by Weed- Corley-Fish Funeral Home of Austin. Chaplain Larry Todd of Austin will conduct the service. The family respectfully requests that any remembrance in honor of Larry's life be given to the First Baptist Church of Pittsburg, P.O. Box 576, Pittsburg, TX 75686 or Hospice Austin, 2820 E. MLK Boulevard, Austin, TX 78702.