I still miss you, Wayne.  I think about you every time I head off the exit to Factoria and think.....I'll go visit.  But your not here on this planet, you are somewhere in the cosmos, watching over us.  I think of you when I want to go eat Greek for lunch, I think about you when I just want a great person to talk to about life.  It seems like forever, and it seems like yesterday.

Harmony,
I have video of your Dad playing music when we were in a band together in the 1980's. If you would like a copy, you could have your Mom send me an email and I can send a DVD to you.  jayandgin@comcast.net

This has been a very sad day Wayne. It always will be just remembering this time last year. I know you are keeping an eye on all of us and sitting with that smile of yours watching us. We all are keeping you in our hearts and your spirit is alive and well. I miss you. You would be proud of your family.
Love....

 Wayne you were a great neighbor.I have been sad during this year how can I not be.
REST IN PEACE.May your soul SOAR to the HEAVENS.
When I see Harmony I see you.I Love her always and so does GOD.I pray for her so she stays strong,she is a PEARL of a girl.
Aurevoir,Isabelle

I miss you, buddy.  I can't tell you how many times I've sat at my desk and thought, hey, I'll call Wayne for lunch.....and then it hits me like a ton of bricks...you're not here.  And that is still very sad.  

Elizabeth Aurelio, Redmond, Washington

Wayne, you have never been far from my thoughts in the year since you left us. Thank you for so many happy memories. I wish we could be adding more, but am blessed to have had such a great brother. I hope you are playing with the best heaven has to offer. You are missed.

Today is our Birthday Wayne and I am so sad you are not here to share it with me!

I missed your usual birthday message today Wayne...You really left a hole in a lot of hearts and we miss you so much.

now that Wayne is Gone, i will confert Harmony and make her laugh. He used to bring me Games,
But now that can't happen. T_T

Even thogh I never met this man he sounds like he is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!   I am Harmonys friend (best)   T-T         T__T....

he was a great father and i am soooooooooooooooooooooooooo sad that he left FOEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! T_T

it's going to be diferent in life without him.

Wayne, I always remember good days with you during 80's at Nintendo.
You showed me how to enjoy a life which was always fun and very unique. 
I am so grateful that I have met with you in my life.
 
In 1985, you helped our wedding and invited us to your home for Thanksgiving dinner.
You have been such a nice, cheerful and warm person to us for many years.
We feel so honored that we had a dinner with you last month for our 25th anniversary.
Mami and I will miss you very much. 

May your soul rest in peace.

Wayne, I feel proud and privileged to have had the good fortune of working with you years ago. I'm spinning my Aisle Five record in remembrance. Thank you for the memories, friend.

Wow, the photo's of Wayne as a young boy really bring back memories from Covina Church Days. Expression of sympathy to all the surviving family members. Wayne's Mom was my Godmother and we had lots of fun times and meals together when we were all kids. Barbara L

To my favorite cousin, I have and will always have the fondest and funnest memories of us growing up together.  I will miss you terribly.  Your family was like my own, you and your folks will always be in my heart.  I love you.

Your cousin,
Stacy

It was great getting to know Wayne over the last few years. Our paths would cross every few days at either the YMCA when we were picking up our daughters, or at a school function, or at the Newport Swim Club where our daughters were always in swim lessons, going to "floaty night" on friday nights or on the swim team. 
After the memorial yesterday, we went and watched Harmony's swim meet and it was so strange not to see him there cheering for Harmony. He was ALWAYS at Harmony's events... although I know he was there in spirit. Wayne was an easy guy to get to know and like... always cheerful and friendly. Sometimes Harmony would have a sleepover with Gwen at our place when Wayne was hooking up with his music buddies to play guitar. I never got a chance to hear him play... but I wished I had. He would also keep us up to date on the latest Nintendo stuff for the Wii or Gwen's DSI and bring us over a game before they came out in the stores.
He was a great guy and a GREAT dad. Kim, Gwen and I will miss him.

Wayne was a great friend and alot of fun to be around, he will be missed by all.

So sorry to hear this news - rest in peace, 'good buddy Wayne'.  Condolences to all friends & family.

I was so shocked to hear the news of Wayne's passing. Too soon, too soon....When I worked at Nintendo, he was always a smiling face, a happy guy...he will be very much missed.

It was an honor to know Wayne and call him a friend.  He was an amazing person and will be missed.  Love ya man.

Wayne was a wonderful person.  He never had an unkind word to say about anyone.  He wanted to help others and make their lives better.  He was too young for us to lose him.  He will be greatly missed. 
-Rob
Arlington Virginia

Friends from Jr High and Highschool, I have great memories of Wayne: choir class, "choraleers", skating at the old Ice Chalet in Burien and of course the Blackwater Band. We last talked at our GHS 30th reunion where we laughed over old times and old photos. So sad to see you go. Lucky to have known you.

Wayne ... I just heard ... What a shock ... Over many years of calls and emails, I had somehow come to expect that you would always be there ... My thoughtful, kind, honest, and supportive friend whom I saw infrequently but enjoyed so much ... I will miss you.

You have always been by my side to mark our Nintendo milestones together.  There will be an empty place in my heart in two years when the big 30 hits.  You have been a good friend.  I will miss our lunches together in Cafe Mario.  My heart goes out to your family.  Miss you always.

When reading the email that was sent yesterday, tears instantly came to my eyes and then the question of "Why him?" Wayne was the kindest, funniest, gentliest, always there for you type of guy. Harmony, you were blessed to have a dad like him, and Ivy, a good man in your life. He thought the world of you two. When we would meet at our classmate gatherings, he was always there to greet everyone. We would chat, laugh, and he was always good for a "until we meet again" hug. Even though we only met in high school and went to the community college together, he was one of those guys you didn't forget. Always ready with a smile. RIP Wayne, until we meet again.

Wayne, I have the fond memories of all of us in the San Juans camping on Orcas Island and enjoying the bounty of our fishing activities. I miss you very much, and will always remember the fun times we all had together over the past 30 years that I've had the privilege of knowing you and being your friend.

Goodbye Wayne.  You will truly be missed. You were always kind to me.
Katherine Festa

Good guy, great friend, Wonderful father, Wayne has left a big empty space, in all those who were fortunate enough to know him.

Wayne,I can't believe your gone! I've known you since elementary school. We had a bit of a gap in those 40+ years but these last couple of years have been a blast jammin,(Harmony sorry for the noise!) You will be truly be missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with your family

I was lucky to have you Wayne for my neighbor,you are already missed.
May you rest in PEACE.I ask GOD above to watch over sweet Harmony your(HONEY),you know I love her ever since she was born.

It's hard to believe that your gone.  Your warm smile and "Hi Don" as you passed me in the halls will be greatly missed.  I feel so fortunate to have had the privilege of working with you for 28 years.  My prayers go out to you and your family.

Wayne, you have been my dear friend since I first landed at Nintendo in 1986.  I will remember our fishing trips, barbeques, vegetable garden contests, and lunches out for greek food, but most of all, I will miss you and our time together talking and laughing.  I pray for your little Harmony, and just know if there is anything I can do for her or Ivy, I will be there.  RIP friend, I miss you already.  Elizabeth Aurelio (Sammamish, WA)

Dear Shirk Family, I am so sorry for your lost! 

Goodbye Wayne! I remembered just like yesterday, we were so happy when you hooked a 15 lbs King Salmon in Elliott Bay on my boat and chased the Sockeye Salmons with Mr. A. on lake Washington.  I will be sure to ask to take Harmony out fishing for you and will tell her how lucky I am to get to know her dad....a wonderful human being.  RIP my friend..you will always be missed....!

After nearly 30 years away from Seattle, most of my memories of growing involve Wayne, from 4th grade best friends to high school band mates and on.  And after all that time, there's just one picture displayed in my home that isn't family.  Here it is.

Sorry distance will keep me away tomorrow; my deepest condolences to all the family, and everyone else he touched.

Wayne, Wanda and I will miss you dearly. We enjoyed your flippant sense of humor and the times we have worked together. I will always remember the fun we had at Coin-Op shows, in the old shop in Redmond, and on our summer evening flotilla of inflatable boats off Medina. Our thoughts are with Harmony, Ivy and family.

Good bye Wayne. 40 years is a long time but alas not long enough. I will miss you but there will a part of you with me everytime I pick up my guitar. You were a strong influence on my life and will remain so. My deepest sympaties are with your family.

John Muir

Dear Harmony and family,

I am sorry for the loss of your dad. I know he meant a lot to you and you loved him will all your heart. My thoughts are with you during this difficult time.

Your friend,
Julia Orr

Dear Shirk Family.  I'm so sorry to hear of Wayne's passing.  I always knew him to be such a kind and gentle soul.  I'll never forget our families camping trips and being friends with Wayne as a teen.  We had so much fun in church youth group and in comfirmation class.  My prayers are and will be with you all.

I am so glad to have seen you and reminisced with you about our days at good old Boulevard Park Elementary when we were at our 30th class reunion. You approached me with a folder of classroom group pictures and reminded me that "I was always in the middle on  the top row of pictures because I was always the tallest kid in the class." I couldn't believe that that was what you still remembered about 3rd grade and the years that followed.
Now, I'm glad that you did. May peace be with you and your family at this sad time.
Sincerely,
Audrey Holdaas Daum

It was such a pleasure to work with Wayne at Nintendo and have him share his stories of the "old days".  He always made me laugh, and never gave me a hard time about bringing my Bud Light in the can to Rick's yearly party.  His love for his daughter was so wonderful to see first hand.  He will be missed by all, but by her most of all.  So long my friend.

Wayne.  Deep, gentle soul.  Engineering marvel who could process and solve a problem before the rest of us could even comprehend what the problem was in the first place.  Focused on the inside.  Calm and easygoing on the outside.  Wry sense of humor that delighted us all and cheered us up when we were cranky.  One of a kind, full-face sparkly-eyed smile.  The keeper of oh-so-many inside jokes.  Humble.  Impacted generations.  Loved by all who knew him.  Missed by the entire world.  Rest well, Wayne.  We'll see you again.

My experience is that I met Wayne around 15 years ago, as the close and dear friend of Gary Bracey. Wayne had just sort of tagged along on a couple of family vacations. He was on his own back then. Wayne brightened up every experience ...Hawaii, and then again in the wine regions of France ...where everything said became known as ‘of the region’. An intelligent, genial and gentle man with poignant wit of Walter Matthau, never delivered without charm and caring. The anecdotes abound and resound. On holiday he became ‘Squashed Banana Wayne’ (self titled) ...I can’t remember why, but the kids loved him. We all did. 

We visited Seattle sometime later on business and despite being a ‘friend of a friend’, Wayne picked us up (in his pick up truck) at the airport. He took us to his home, cooked some great food for us, played some cool guitar licks and gave us the royal tour of Seattle... the first Starbucks, the fish market, the Space Needle, and a great little bar where he was also clearly much loved. ...He taught us the weirdest derivatives of darts (without points), and pool (for 3 people). Nothing was too much trouble.

Wayne also, very patiently, tried to help us understand the, not unchallenging, machinations of Nintendo. He went out of his way to visit our office too when he came to the UK. And in his normal affable, dry and willing way he gave us the most poignant feedback we needed. We were obsessed with in-game cinematics and beautiful graphics at the time. Wayne simply said in his low laconic Seattle drawl ...’you know, you guys should put a plaque up in your reception that says ...’We make games, stupid’. ...Never a point better made, or taken. 

My deep, deep sympathies to his family. Nintendo has lost one of their best, the games industry has. We all have.

Wayne, you were the first person who eased my mind with your nice and warm joking when I first arrived at Seattle in 1989, making my subsequent stay in the US as an unforgettable experience.

FS and family,

Wayne will be missed by many.  My thoughts and prayers are with you. May your memories bring you comfort.

Love, JB

I can't begin to describe the indelible effect you have had on me and my whole family, Wayne.
You might be gone but the many, many fantastic memories we have will be with us forever. In particular, Hawaii, Whistler and teaching me how to lose at Craps in Vegas.
Love ya, miss ya. 

Gary.

Wayneo...the old days in the Nintendo service shop are still my most fond memories at the company.  You made work fun and I admired your technical knowledge.  We had a great time listening to music, doing Monty Python impressions, and having bottle rocket wars in the back parking lot! (Phil R., if you read this, we did work too!) I need to pull out the old Aisle 5 album you gave me and give it a listen again after so long.  Love ya bud!

Wayne, The Crab Master, the keeper of The Coach, Captain of the couch and a fine cook. Ivy and Harmony are blessed to have you a part of their lives. and so are Linda and I. We met you through Jeff and Teri, aahh... the serendipity of life it is like the soil in which we grow, and claimed you as our own friend immediately. We will miss you.

I only spent 10 days with you but from the start, you were a kind, gentle and caring man. No matter how crappy you felt, just a mention of your daughter would bring a huge smile to your face.  Sail on Wayne...

I was so privileged to have had Wayne Shirk as my friend and coworker for so many years.  We've shared many, many laughs and a few tears.  I've watched him grow from a young party animal (which was always fun!) to a responsible loving father to Harmony.  I will miss your friendship, wisdom and smile my friend.  Until we meet again.

Wayne, you were larger than life: a big personality, with a big heart to match. I'm thankful for the ways our lives intersected throughout the years. My thoughts and prayers are with your family and loved ones.

I will never forget my 3rd grade boyfriend. Especially since we have the same birthday! I will miss you!!

You were a such a great father to Harmony.
We'll miss you Wayne.
-Steve

Goodbye Wayne. I will always cherish the time we traveled together to Taiwan, China, Korea, Singapore and Japan to fight the pirates.  You were a great travel companion and colleague at Nintendo. And most of all, you were a loving father to Harmony who was so engaged in every aspect of her life.  May God bless Harmony and Ivy during this difficult time.

Thanks so much for your musical talent. You were always an Inspiration. Goodbye my Friend.

I will always remember you as one of the smartest and most capable men, I've ever known. You were my first boyfriend in elementary school & I thank the Lord that I was privileged to have known you for so long. Until we all meet again, I'll cherish the memories.

Gonna miss a classmate, friend and neighbor. RIP Wayne my prayers are with your family.

Oh little Wayne...I remember the day you were born. Such a happy little guy...As your older sister, you have given me such joy over the years. I will miss the phone calls on how to make something that Mom used to make - you became a good cook in your own right. You were loved and will be missed SO much.

Goodbye little brother. There will always be an empty place in my heart for you. Your love and support will be missed forever.

I will never forget the last assembly in high school when you guy's played "Schools out" by Alice Cooper and we all stood on our chairs to the dismay of all the teachers.
RIP

Goodbye Wayne. You taught me so much about music and recording. I will always cherish the memories of our time spent together as band mates and friends.

I am so sorry to hear of Wayne's sudden passing. It was always wonderful to see him at Harmony's school events, swim events and walking with her around the neighborhood. My thoughts are with Harmony and Ivy during this difficult time.

 Camping and fishing will never be the same without you - I'm absolutly sure that we've slayed more crab, salmon, abalone, shrimp, lingcod, clams, and scallops togather than any other "dos bozos" in the state. And it was you that always came up with the most amazing recipes for our catch.
 Your humor, wit  and kindness will be sorely missed but never forgotten by myself, my wife, and my children. 

 "from mountain top to ocean floor, a part of us forevermore"

OBITUARY

Wayne Alan Shirk

June 16, 1958 – July 14, 2010

Sunset Hills Memorial Park & Funeral Home

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