Wayne Edward Shull

Wayne (also known as “Mac” to his siblings) was born May 30, 1948, in Cleveland County, North Carolina to Vester and Hester Shull. He grew up in Vale, North Carolina, graduated from West Lincolnton High School in 1966, and attended Nashville Auto-Diesel College from 1967 to 1968.

He served in the United States Army during the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1970, where he worked his way up through the ranks to become a Sargent. He earned multiple medals for his heroism against hostile forces: the Bronze Star Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Air Medal. He was honorably discharged in 1970 after completing his term of service.

Wayne married Donna Proctor in 1969, and they had one child, Jeff. They shared 26 years together before her passing in 1995.

He worked in the printing press industry for 30 years with Baird Ward Printing Company (Quebecor World) and was a member of the Master Printers of America. He later worked for Environmental Science Corp in Mt. Juliet for more than 10 years, retiring in 2014. Outside of work, he was an avid sports fan of the Atlanta Braves, North Carolina Tarheels, and Vanderbilt Commodores. He also enjoyed playing softball, coaching his son’s baseball teams at Mt. Juliet Little League, fishing, gardening, and attending Mt. Juliet High School basketball and football games.

One of his favorite joys was spending time with his family, especially his two grandchildren, Emily and Austin. He adored them and he would light up when he talked about them. He was always there to support them in whatever extracurricular activities they were involved in, whether it was dance, chorus or other school activities, softball, baseball, or basketball. He was so proud to be called their Papa!

Wayne will be most remembered for his kindness, generosity, and his heart of gold. He always thought of others before himself and loved unconditionally. He was a devoted Christian and was a longtime member of Green Hill Baptist Church, where he enjoyed driving the bus for various church activities. He was also a charter member of Victory Baptist Church, where he enjoyed attending Sunday school every week. He especially enjoyed the annual Christmas breakfasts with his Sunday school class.

Those who have passed on before him are wife Donna Shull, parents Vester and Hester Shull, brother Jerry “Burr” Shull, mother-in-law Jean Birdwell, and brothers-in-law Harold Clarke, Jack Taylor, and Kevin Teasley.

Those left behind to cherish his memory are son Jeff (Melissa) Shull, grandchildren Emily and Austin Shull, sisters Margaret Clarke, Patricia Taylor, Brenda (Harold) Efird, Dianne (Ronnie) Lewis, and Becky (Dale) Young, sister-in-law Patricia Shull, sister-in-law Lora (Tom) Klein, as well as 7 nieces and nephews and their families.

Pallbearers include Austin Shull, Steven Graves, Bartley Bess, Radley Bess, Tyler Miles, and Barry Romines. Honorary pallbearers are Jim Austin’s Sunday school class.

Visitation will be held on Friday, January 2, 2026, from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Hermitage Funeral Home & Memorial Gardens, located at 525 Shute Lane, Nashville, TN, 37138, and again on Saturday, January 3, 2026, from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm. A Celebration of Life will be held at the same location at 2:00 pm, with Brother Chuck Groover officiating, followed by a military honors burial.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests making memorial contributions in Wayne’s honor to Victory Baptist Church at www.vbcmtj.org or to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society at www.bloodcancerunited.org.

Fond memories, words of comfort and expressions of sympathy may be left for the Shull family by selecting the "Add A Memory" tab below or by visiting their website at www.HermitageFH.com