William Wayne LeRoy

1931 - 2020

William Wayne LeRoy

William Wayne LeRoy died peacefully on July 25, 2020 after a valiant struggle with cancer. He was born July 18, 1931 in Bridgeport, Alabama, and raised in Jasper, Tennessee.

He is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Carolyn Gonce LeRoy, three daughters, Emily LeRoy, Ellen LeRoy, Marian Kohl (Michael), and three wonderful grandchildren, Adam Hobbs, Caroline Kohl & Catherine Kohl. He is also survived by sister, Jo Harris, sisters-in-law Patsy LeRoy and Barbara Gonce Clepper, numerous nieces and nephews, and great nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by parents John Daley and Emily Cookston LeRoy, brothers John D., Charles, Paul & Hank LeRoy and sisters Florence Frizzell, Ruby Whitlock, Rachel Crabtree, Fay Anderson & Jean Milligan.

Wayne graduated from Marion County High School, where he played basketball. He later attended the University of Tennessee at Knoxville where he was the recipient of a TVA work scholarship, which in addition to his hard work, allowed him to become the first person in his family to attend college. At the University of Tennessee, he was a diligent writer for the "Orange and White", while studying journalism and was a proud graduate in the class of 1955.

After exploring multiple careers including sports reporting, patent medicine sales and insurance adjusting, Wayne soon aspired to work in the field of law. He went on to receive his law degree in 1966 from the YMCA Law School, now the Nashville School of Law.

He entered the practice of law with McCarley, Hollins & Pride, eventually becoming the senior partner in Schulman, LeRoy and Bennett. His office door was always open to offer guidance and wisdom on many legal issues. In addition to acting as local counsel for Allstate Insurance Company and general counsel for Exchange Insurance Company, he was a lobbyist for Insuror's of Tennessee and was actively involved in lobbying, legislative issues and governmental relations for over thirty years. He was well-known and beloved as the elder statesman of the insurance lobbyists. He had a broad range of expertise in handling matters with the Department of Commerce and Insurance and he was approved by the Tennessee Supreme Court as a Rule 31 Mediator. He also handled surety bond work and represented a number of general contractors in handling corporate matters. He was a proud member of the Nashville, Tennessee, American Bar Associations and Tennessee Lobbyists Association.

He is remembered as a wonderful father and was active in his daughters' lives, including Girl Scouts, church youth group camping outings, orchestra recitals and attending all his girls sporting events. He was a great mentor to his daughters and a considerable influence on their lives. All three of his daughters followed his professional footsteps with two becoming attorneys and one a lobbyist. The family enjoyed many road trips, cookouts and holidays together. Wayne adored his grandchildren and often claimed to be teaching them the art of doing nothing.

Wayne was active in church and community activities, serving on the boards of many local organizations. As a devoted member of St. Philip's Episcopal Church he served as Senior Warden, vestry member, lay reader and Chancellor. He was also the President of the Tennessee Layman's Conference, and over a 50 year period, never missed the annual layman's conference at Dubois Conference Center. Wayne was also a member of the Jaycees, PTA, 32nd degree Mason, and Bluefields Neighborhood Association.

He was a dedicated outdoorsman and enjoyed hunting, fishing and camping. Wayne enjoyed sports and was a loyal follower of his beloved UT Vols and Lady Vols.

Wayne and Carolyn were blessed to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on July 2. They were exhilarating to watch on the dance floor and were also perfectly matched as bridge partners. Wayne was a valued employee of Carolyn LeRoy Estate Sales and relished his role as salesperson in charge of all things garage and basement related. He was also one of Carolyn's best customers.

Wayne loved spending time with family and friends. Nothing made him happier than an evening around the dinner table telling family stories and jokes, and he always brought laughter with his witty comments. Wayne and Carolyn own a farm in Marion County that Wayne affectionally named "Possum Holler". He could often be found on the screened porch in the evenings as the sun went down enjoying a bourbon and a cigar.

Wayne fought a long and hard battle against cancer, but every day he inspired his family and friends with his constant optimism and grit. He always stayed true to who he was and at the end of the day, his family was what he valued most over all else. He will be remembered by his family and friends for his good will and profound enjoyment of life throughout all his days.

Wayne's life will be celebrated at a memorial service at a later date. Those wishing to make a memorial contribution are asked to consider St. Philip's Episcopal Church, ATTN: Endowment fund in memory of Wayne LeRoy, 85 Fairway Drive Nashville, TN 37214 or the charity of your choice.