Mr. Harold Ray Wayne

It is with deep sorrow that Mrs. Shirley Dixon Wayne and her family announce the death of her beloved husband, Mr. Harold Ray Wayne, 82. Mr. Wayne entered into rest on Monday, December 15, 2025. The Directors of Brown-Pennington-Atkins Funeral Home & Crematory are caring for the family. A funeral service to honor his life will be held at 2 o'clock on Friday, December 19, 2025, at Middendorf Baptist Church. The Rev. Beau Boyle, The Rev. Don Rhyne, and The Rev. Jeff Williams will officiate, with burial to follow in Wilkes Chapel Independent Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm on Thursday, December 18, 2025, at the funeral home. Mr. Harold Ray Wayne was born on Friday, April 9, 1943, in North Wilksboro, NC. He is the son of the late Paul William Wayne and the late Cala Wyatt Wayne. As the third of nine children, Harold grew up in a small country home learning early lessons of kindness, patience, integrity, hard work and, with the help of his many brothers and sisters, the occasional management of mischief. Harold graduated from West High School in 1961 and, soon after, began working in the weaving room at Cannon Mill in Kannapolis, NC, where he met the love of his life, Miss Shirley Jean Dixon, to whom he was married for nearly 61 years. Harold and Shirley moved to South Carolina in 1969 where they raised their three sons: Darrin, Jamie, and Kirby. A lifelong steward of the land, Harold enjoyed raising pigs and chickens while maintaining his vegetable garden. He retired from Crown Cork and Seal in Cheraw, SC, after 27 years of service to become a turkey farmer with Prestage Farms in 1997. Harold took great pride in managing his land and flocks, and in his six grandchildren who treasure the countless days spent working alongside, learning from, and laughing with their Pa on his farm. Harold enjoyed attending his children's and grandchildren's extracurricular activities including sports games, academic honors, and music performances. In later years, he took up the hobby of raising cattle and was known to recount from memory the various activities of his beloved cows, delighting family and friends with calving stories and demonstrations of his unique manner of calling them in. He enjoyed his nearly daily trips to "the store" to visit with old friends and catch up on community happenings over a bite to eat. Harold Wayne will be remembered by many for his sense of humor, his friendliness, and his love for his family. He was many things: a barbeque and biscuit enthusiast, a Tar Heel fan, a lover of the mountains, a connoisseur of cooked apples, a jokester, a farmer, a devoted husband, a proud Daddy and a playful Pa, but above all, Harold Ray Wayne was a good man. He will be tremendously missed by all who knew him. Harold is survived by his wife, Shirley Dixon Wayne; sons, Darrin (Laurie) Wayne, Jamie (Michele) Wayne, Kirby (Susan) Wayne; honorary son, Kenny Lewis; sister, Kay (Troy) Gragg; brothers, Doug (Ann) Wayne, Dale (Nancy) Wayne, Ken (Donna) Wayne, Russell (Ruby) Wayne; sister-in-law, Debbie Wayne; grandchildren, Kirsten (Taylor) Glenn, Megan Wayne, Callie (Tj) Broach, Shelby (Scott) Killen, Anna Catherine (Thomas) Middleton, Corey (Emily) Wayne; great grandchildren, Maren Glenn, Holden Glenn, Brenna Broach, Andrew Middleton and Laura Middleton. In addition to his parents, Paul William Wayne and Cala Wyatt Wayne, he was preceded in death by sisters, Paula Jean Tolbert, Brenda Wyatt; brother, Keith Wayne; and great grandchild, Tatum Broach. Serving as pall bearers will be Mr. Darrin Wayne, Mr. Jamie Wayne, Mr. Kirby Wayne, Mr. Corey Wayne, Mr. Kenny Lewis, The Honorable Taylor Glenn, The Honorable Scott Killen, The Honorable T.J. Broach and the Honorable Thomas Middleton.

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Mr. Harold Ray Wayne

April 9, 1943 - December 15, 2025