Wayne Edward Stuart

1940 - 2021

Wayne Edward Stuart
Wayne Edward Stuart was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He left this world peacefully on June 13, 2021 at age 81 after a long, courageous battle with Parkinson's disease. He was born on February 7, 1940 at what would become known as Deaconess Hospital in Oklahoma City. Wayne graduated from high school at Northwest Classen, served in the Civil Air Patrol, and in the U.S. Air Force. Wayne worked at the Journal Record, and then as a manager at several TG&Y stores in Oklahoma City and most notably in Bethany before taking his retail finesse to Driver Music Co. where he worked as the sales manager in the Bethany store and later also in Driver's Southside location. When he retired from retail sales, he founded Stuart Band Instrument Repair in Bethany and then Warr Acres locations before applying his repair talents to Larsen Music in Oklahoma City. In the early 1980s Wayne volunteered his time and skill as a Reserve Police Officer for the Bethany Police Department. Nearly all his life he worked six days per week to support his family and enrich his community. Not surprisingly, his generosity surpassed everything else as he also volunteered to donate a kidney to his daughter in order to save her life. Wayne was thrilled to assist young and emerging musicians with obtaining their first guitar, amplifier, or woodwind and brass instrument. And when those instruments needed repair, as a second-generation instrument repairman, he was one of the very few in Oklahoma who had the expertise and experience to repair and restore complex brass and woodwind instruments. In fact, if you were a band student anywhere in Oklahoma City and throughout the state, it was likely that Wayne repaired your tuba when you dropped it, or when your woodwind instrument needed an entire overhaul. He spent his summers with instrument cases piled up to the ceiling awaiting repair before school resumed in the fall. Wayne was especially generous in so many ways to so many people. He loved helping Oklahoma's youth find their special connection to music and often volunteered to provide music for many middle school and high school dances by way of providing commercial sound. He also volunteered to provide commercial sound for Oklahoma City's "Battle of the Bands" in the early 1980s. Wayne had a great love of sailing, starting with a 16' Sea Snark, afterwards building a 16' Leeward sloop in the garage at his home, and later owned a 20' fractional sloop as well as a 20' racing catamaran—all of which he enjoyed sailing on Lake Hefner. But most of all, Dad loved his family and lived his life surrounded by his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was loved immensely by his family and bestowed his love on his family at every opportunity. Wayne was predeceased by his father Robert Edward "Ed" Stuart, his mother Matilda "Anne" Stuart, grandson Christopher, great-grandson Tucker and stepson Miles Miller. Wayne is survived by his loving wife Sandra "Mitsie," his three adoring daughters, Gina Richard (Andy), Carrie Templeton (Wayne), Kristi Robinson (Kevin), and stepson Bryan Miller. He is also survived by his grandchildren Allison, Katherine, Emelie, Michael, A.J, Kayla, and by his great-grandchildren Devin, Audrey, Lane, Genevieve, Kaedynce, Kynzlee and Rydlee as well as close family friends Martha Stuart, Jackie Cook and Eugene Miller. It was Wayne's wish that his remains be cremated and scattered in a private family ceremony at a later date. A memorial service is scheduled for Tuesday, June 22nd at 2:00 pm at Mayfair Church of Christ, 2340 NW 50th Street in Oklahoma City. In keeping with Wayne's generosity and service to his community, the family asks that any memorial donations be sent to the Save the Music Foundation (www.savethemusic.org), the National Kidney Foundation (www.kidney.org) or Mayfair Church of Christ (www.mayfairokc.com).