Wayne was born March 5, 1935 in Dallas, Texas to Gladys and Robert Young. He attended Texas A&M University where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets and served as Sargent Major and later 3rd Group Commander. Wayne was a proud member of the Class of 1956, earning his Bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering and his United States Air Force (USAF) commission. He then received his Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Ohio State University (OSU) before being called into active duty with the USAF in Dayton, Ohio. Wayne met the love of his life, Patricia Ann Mitchell, with whom he shared 52 years. They were married on June 3, 1961. In 1962, Wayne left the USAF and moved to Houston, Texas to work for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Manned Spacecraft Center. Wayne served in numerous positions with NASA from 1962 until his retirement in 1995, supporting the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs as well as the overall business operations of JSC and receiving many numerous distinguished awards during his career. Additionally, he was selected to attend Stanford University’s Sloan executive development program. He was also selected to attend the University of Colorado where he received his PhD degree in Public Administration in 1983. Upon retirement, Wayne taught in the Business and Public Administration department at the University of Houston Clear Lake (UHCL). He had served on the UHCL advisory board prior to retirement and was instrumental in the development of the Masters degree program for Public Administration at UHCL. During his retirement years, Wayne also served on the board of trustees for Houston Baptist University, on the advisory board of the Texas Agriculture Extension Service and on the Clear Lake Economic Development Council
Wayne began his personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ at the age of 8 and took great comfort in knowing where his eternal residence would be. Prior to his death, he wrote: “The significant fact concerning my untimely death is that rather than an end, I have just begun the greatest era of my existence because I have taken up permanent residence with Jesus”. Wayne and Pat were members of Baptist Churches throughout their married life and joined University Baptist Church (UBC) in 1980. Wayne held numerous leadership positions at UBC including deacon, committee member and bible teacher. He enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren, traveling, reading, fishing, computers and socializing with his friends and family.
Wayne is survived by his wife, Pat, and three sons; Steve and his wife Lisa, Matt and his wife Lisa, David and his wife Trisha and 7 grandchildren; Mitch, Will, Brian, Brantley, Braden, Drew and Kate.
Visitation with the family will be held on Thursday, January 31st from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at Forest Park East Funeral home in Webster, Texas. A memorial service is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on Saturday February 2nd, at University Baptist Church, 16106 Middlebrook Drive, Houston, Texas 77059. Prior to his earthly end, Wayne requested that in lieu of flowers, any monies spent on his behalf be applied to University Baptist Church’s “Free by Forty” campaign. Donations can be made payable to University Baptist Church in Wayne’s name.
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