Norman Ellis Wainwright

Norman Ellis Wainwright, age 90, passed away peacefully on January 3, 2026 in Davidsonville, Maryland. Born on March 2, 1935 in Berlin, Maryland, he was the son of the late Norman Thomas Wainwright and Mary Madeline (Ellis) Wainwright.
Ellis was a proud graduate of the last graduating class from Buckingham High School in 1954. Following high school Ellis was drafted into the United States Army and moved briefly to Stuttgart Germany to complete his service while being deployed overseas. This experience shaped his lifelong sense of discipline, hard work ethic and commitment to the community. He later went on to work at Perdue Farms Incorporated in Salisbury for 32 years, working his way up the corporate ladder to the esteemed position of Vice President of Quality Control and worked side by side with founder Frank Perdue to help the Perdue family build the business into one of the leading poultry companies in the country. Ellis was widely respected for his professionalism, leadership and unwavering standards he set forth for Perdue and its subsidiaries.
Deeply rooted in his faith and community, Ike, as he was also affectionately known as, was a lifelong member of Friendship United Methodist Church. His commitment and service to the church was recognized in 2018 as he was honored as the Treasure of the Year, an annual award given to elders of the congregation for their lifetime of service and dedication to the church.
Outside of his professional and faith life, Ellis enjoyed searching for rare antiques, playing softball and golf, and giving back to his community as a coach with the Berlin Little League. He will be remembered for his kindness, reliability and the meaningful example he set for family, friends and all that had the privilege to know him.
He was preceded in death by his beloved wife Gail Wainwright and his sister Pat Long.
He is survived by his son Troy Wainwright and his wife Noelle; his brothers Donald Wainwright and Harold Wainwright; his sister Norma Lee Rickards; and his grandchildren Callum Wainwright and Finnen Wainwright.
A visitation will be held from 10-11am on Saturday January 10, 2026 at Friendship Church with a funeral service to follow beginning at 11am. A graveside service will be held at Granite Memorial Mausoleum at 12:30pm. In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to the Friendship Church of Berlin. Letters of condolence may be sent to the family via www.burbagefuneralhome.com. Arrangements are in the care of The Burbage Funeral Home – Berlin, MD.