Born on March 18, 1942 in Kingsport, Tennessee, Wayne was the only son of the late Leonard Wilkerson and the late Malena Cody Wilkerson. He graduated from Sullivan High School in 1960 and the University of Tennessee in 1964 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Upon graduation, Wayne began a career in the aerospace industry working on the Saturn V rocket for NASA under director Werner von Braun whom he personally met. He also engineered commercial aircraft for Avco Corporation before embarking on what would become his lifelong pursuit, real estate. Wayne formed his own company, Wilkerson Realty, and challenged himself through real estate development over the next fifty plus years. As a real estate broker, he touched the lives of many people through building and selling homes. Contractors, painters, brick masons, buyers, sellers…Wayne treated everyone with dignity which generated respect and forged many friendships as a result. He was known for his generosity, fairness, and humor.
Wayne was a loving husband, father and grandfather and took each of these important roles seriously. He dropped whatever he was doing to help his family when they needed him whether it be studies, sports or a listening ear. Wayne was selfless. Maybe the most notable was the care he took with his ailing son-in-law, Dennis Scholl, taking him to treatments and physical therapy. Ironically, he would subsequently require the same care following his own diagnosis of cancer.
A humble man, Wayne never liked to be the center of attention. However, he was known to brag on his five grandchildren without end. Wayne was a member of the Hermitage Hills Baptist Church since 1968 and spent several years serving as Chairman of the House and Grounds Committee. He was an avid sports fan, particularly of everything involving the University of Tennessee sports program and Braves baseball. Wayne enjoyed music, bluegrass, in particular, and was a regular patron of the Bluegrass Series at the Ryman Auditorium. He appreciated the great guitarists of his time, being a guitar player himself.
Wayne is survived by his wife of fifty-nine years, Nancy Campbell Wilkerson; four daughters, Janet Wilkerson, Scottie (Dennis, dec‘d) Scholl, Susan (Rob) Moore, and Amy (Paul) Baker; and five grandchildren, Campbell Scholl, Madeline Scholl, Abigail Moore, Dawson Baker, and Chase Baker.
There will be a Gathering of Family & Friends at Hermitage Funeral Home on Saturday, February 10th, from 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. The Memorial Service will directly follow in the Tulip Grove Room at 2:00 p.m. Reverend Dan Arterburn will be officiating.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial gifts in his name be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 6704, Hagerstown, MD 21741 (https://donate.cancer.org).
