Jesse Waynick

Jess Waynick passed away peacefully at the Heritage of Brentwood on April 2, 2025. He was born in Clarksville, TN and retired back to Hendersonville, TN, but truly loved the 40 years he lived, worked and built a family in Chicago. His spirit carries on through his wife, son, and many adoring family members and friends. He will join in heaven the family & friends who preceded him, including his beloved dogs: Dolly, Snoopy, Rex, Shitake, Abby, Brodie.

Life milestones:

· Age 11: Mother died; He & his brothers Bob and Fred were separated for next few years.

· Age 12: Moved to Chicago to live with his father, gets his first job as drugstore delivery boy.

· Age 16: Quits high school after junior year to get a full-time job.

· Age 19: Drafted into the Army for the Korean War; worked diligently to get his GED.

· Age 22: Started at General Motors and retired as an Industrial Engineer after 32 years.

· Age 32: Marries Reba after 4 years of dating.

· Age 34: Gives Reba for Christmas their beloved dog Dolly who loved to sit on his shoulder during car rides.

· Age 35: Became proud father of Steve. Dolly expressed her deep jealousy by sneaking into his crib & chewing up pacifiers.

Jesse’s focus in life was building a strong family with Reba and Steve, providing them love, devotion and a sense of security. He often said his nieces Deb and Pam were the daughters he never had, and his Michigan nieces held a similar special place in his heart.

Jess was diagnosed with terminal cancer at age 50 and prayed for God to let him live to see Steve graduate high school. Not only did he watch that event proudly but enjoyed another 40+ years of precious time with his family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his 2 beloved brothers, Fred & Bob, who all remained close despite being separated as boys. Bob and Jess lived together prior to their marriages. He often laughed that Bob never washed a dish or cleaned, and consistently “borrowed” Jess’s clothes rather than doing laundry. Jess & Fred created a ‘boatload’ of memories for the many relatives who still recall the very special times on the boat they co-owned. During retirement, all 3 brothers settled in Hendersonville, TN, where Jess and Fred worked part-time together at Payless Car Rental.

Jess’ passions included country music, St. Louis Cardinals baseball, food, history, and travel. He found great pleasure watching old videos of his favorite classic country artists, particularly George Jones. He was devoted to the St. Louis Cardinals his whole life and his last in-person game was a 2018 Father’s Day trip. He loved food and thought Reba was the best cook to have ever lived and Deb and Steve were the best bakers. Jess was an avid reader, particularly of history. He had a deep interest in the Civil War and a 2019 visit to Gettysburg with Steve helped fulfill a lifelong dream. Jess and Reba made a lifetime of memories on many adventures in the U.S. and around the world. They started their travels on their honeymoon to Europe in 1965 and their last vacation to Scandinavia and St. Petersburg, Russia in 2016 was a longtime dream.

Jess spent his life volunteering for various organizations. He served as coach of Steve’s hockey team and driver to his many tennis matches, and was the treasurer of Hickory Hill Church of the Nazarene. He was very proud when his many caring neighbors and friends honored him for over 20 years of service as President of the Blue Ridge HOA in Hendersonville by co-naming a park after him. He and Reba enjoyed volunteering at various events in the Nashville area including BellSouth Senior Golf Classic, U.S. Figure Skating Championships, and the Nashville Music City Marathon.

His legacy will be as a loving father and husband. Since Reba’s stroke, Jess visited her multiple times a day at NHC Hendersonville and Somerfield Health Center. During the Covid pandemic, he and Abby were featured on NBC News Nashville for famously visiting her at the window multiple times a day. As their 60th wedding anniversary approaches in May, they still looked at each other, and Steve, with awe, respect, and love.

He will be laid to rest at the Hendersonville Memory Gardens & Funeral Home. Services will be private, but a celebration of life will be announced in the coming months. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to K9s For Warriors.