Johnson Wayne Death, Obituary – Sadly, he passed away on Fowler Street in Gladstone. Sunday, December 18, 2022, at the age of 71, passed died suddenly at the Bundaberg Hospital after a long battle with illness. Wayne was a proud veteran of the United States Navy and a graduate of Oakland High School. He also served in the Navy. Both Frostburg State University and West Virginia University awarded him a degree, making him a double-graduate.
Wayne was a devoted educator who worked as a teacher at Southern High School, a Maryland Certification Specialist, and the Principal of Center Street, Oak Street, and Broad Ford Elementary Schools. He also served on the board of the Maryland Association of School Principals, was a member of the National Education Association, and was a member of the Maryland Retired School Personnel and the Garrett County Retired Teachers Association. Currently, Wayne is a member of the Maryland Retired School Personnel and the Garrett County Retired He coached the junior varsity basketball team at Southern.
After a career in education, Wayne transitioned into a position as a Relationship Manager at Garrett National Bank. He was a commissioner for Garrett County throughout his tenure. In addition to that, he was a member of the Oakland Masonic Temple, the Shrine Club in Cumberland, the Oakland Elks Lodge, the American Legion Proctor Kildow Post #71, and the Oakland Mtn. Lake Park Lions Club, from which he received the Melvin Jones Award. All of these organizations are located in Oakland.
Wayne had previously held positions on the Board of Directors for both Hospice of Garrett County and the former Garrett Memorial Hospital Board of Governors, where he presided for a number of years. Additionally, he was the director of VIVA Hospital Office Volunteers and a board member for the Maryland Hospital Association. In addition to that, Wayne was the Director of the GLAF. In his senior years, Wayne volunteered his time at the Historical Society Museum in Oakland as well as at the Oakland Train Station.
He had been attending St. Paul’s United Methodist Church for the entirety of his life. Even after sixty-five years, Wayne would still remember the names of his former students and take pleasure in chatting with them. He enjoyed American history, traveling to historical sites, and spending time on the golf course.