Wayne & Gaye Mills

W. Wayne Mills made his final voyage on 3/25/23 to meet up with the love of his life and first mate Gaye L. Mills who passed on 11/14/22. Wayne and Gaye met at Cajun’s Wharf on Gaye’s 29th birthday. When Wayne failed to get Gaye’s attention, he tripped her and as she fell into his arms, he said, “Hi, I’m Wayne.” After that night, their lives changed forever. They were married on 8/23/86.

Wayne practiced law for many years, but where he and Gaye really wanted to be was on the water. They started small and bought a sailboat, the August Crow, and spent every weekend at the Lake Texoma. When the bug really took hold, they sold all their earthly possessions and sailed across the Atlantic with another couple. The August Crow took them many places where they saw the world firsthand.

Their final boat was a 48’ Tollycraft named the Celebration. The Celebration took them from Canada to the Bahamas to Key West to the Great Lakes to name just a few of the places. Wanting to get their feet back on terra firma for a while, they settled in New Bern, NC. They hoped it would only be temporary.

Wayne & Gaye’s life was an adventure and they lived it to the fullest. They saw the world far and wide from a perspective that most don’t get. They met friends in every port, some lifelong. They survived living in close quarters on a 48’ boat with two dogs and were still crazy about one another at the end of the day. They were in the middle of not one, but two hurricanes and lived to tell about it, although their boat ended up in the side of the New Bern Marriott (Google “Celebration” Hurricane Florence). Wayne was a storyteller and although his stories may not have always been completely factual, he said “but people seem to like the way I tell them.” Gaye would have to correct him often, and she did. Gaye had a creative eye and brought back unique treasures from all of their journeys. They were both outgoing, friendly and had a wonderful sense of humor. They were generous and loving, and they were loved by many. May they only have blue skies and smooth sailing for their next journey together.

The celebration of Wayne & Gaye’s life is at The Greens Country Club, Friday April 7th from 2-5 pm.