Wayne Lee Gill

Wayne Gill, age 86, passed away Wednesday, August 6, 2025. He was preceded in death by his wife, Ethel Gill; sister, Arlene Boris; brother, Gerald Gill. He is survived by his children Bonnie (Greg) Hecksel, Mark (Sheila) Gill, Carole (Bill) Brill; stepson, Mike (Tara) VanPortfleet; grandchildren Lauren (Greg) Eardley, Bethany (Brandon) McClure, Mark Hecksel, Ryan (Ashley) Hecksel, Dylan Hunt, Brandon (Kennedy) Gill, Dirk VanPortfleet; eight great-grandchildren; sisters Sharon (Jay) Duursma and Lorraine (Cy) Floyd; and many nieces, nephews, and friends.

Wayne was born to Gerald and Tressa (Bishop) Gill and raised in Grand Rapids with four siblings. After graduating from Ottawa Hills High School, he married and raised three children. Later, a job opportunity took him to Arizona, where he spent a lot of time hiking and exploring the desert and mountains with his wife, his son, and two stepsons.

Wayne had many passions. Trains fascinated him as a child and after retirement he took on a project of building a model train town. He loved showing friends and family how he engineered a lifelike campfire that emits smoke, along with many other creative characteristics. One could easily see his vision of this busy little town. He also had a strong affection for animals, especially dogs. When he moved to his most recent neighborhood, he would sit in his rocker on the front porch and ask passing dogs if their person would let them have a cookie. He made many friends that way. One dog would drag his walkers to Wayne's house first thing, for a visit. Wayne also enjoyed taking his "granddog," Dave, for rides on his golf cart. He had a goofy sense of humor and loved sharing riddles and one-liners. He enjoyed game days with his siblings, painting, fishing, and watching Michigan football with his friend.

He will be missed by so many.

A celebration of life service will be held in the future. The family welcomes memories and messages at www.cookcaresgrandville.com in their guestbook online.