Wayne Shay

Wayne Shay, 83, passed away on Saturday, July 29, 2023 in Tyler. He was born on March 12, 1940 in Jacksonville, Illinois to John and Virginia Shay who preceded him in death. He is survived by the love of his life, wife Donna (Thomas) Shay of Tyler. He was preceded in death by his nephew, Nick Shay. Wayne’s large family will miss him terribly. He is survived by his brother, Ron Shay (wife Lynne) of North Carolina as well as his children, Andy Shay of Maryland, Karin Shay (husband Dave Warman) of Tyler, Kevin Shay of Missouri, Sherry (Shay) Mudge of Galveston, and Tammi (Loggins) Long (husband Bobby) of Whitehouse. He was loved and admired by his ten grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren. Wayne is also survived by his sister-in-law, Debbie (Thomas) Cagle (husband Kenny) of Henderson. When he was in third grade, Wayne’s teacher was unhappy that he did not finish an assignment. He told her, “I don’t need to learn that, I’m going to be a builder.” After many years of taking things apart and putting them back together, he formed Wayne Shay Builder and spent decades doing what he loved as he became a respected custom builder and developer. As a private pilot, Wayne was always working on his planes to improve their performance. He needed to understand every piece and how it worked. With a passion for refurbishing classic cars, Wayne built a custom shop filled with the tools necessary to lovingly restore his cars with the precision required to win awards at car shows. An avid skier, Wayne once took several of his grandchildren on the slopes and showed them how it is done as they worked hard, but failed to keep up. His grandchildren remember family Thanksgiving celebrations that included hide and seek in the dark (he made sure everyone had a personalized flashlight), line dancing, a ‘no-talent’ show, and other activities. He loved to complete and frame large puzzles and passed that activity on to his children and grandchildren. Gardening was another of his passions and his yard was filled with beautiful plants and flowers. Wayne and Donna spent many vacations in their later years traveling the country in their motor coach. A member of Green Acres Baptist Church, Wayne attended the Building Bridges Sunday School class. Visitation will be held on Saturday, August 5, 2023 from 10-11 a.m. at Stewart Family Funeral Home on Old Jacksonville Highway in Tyler. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. immediately following visitation. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to The Alzheimer Alliance of Smith County, 3531 S. Broadway Ave., Tyler, TX 75701 (www.alzalliance.org).

Wayne Shay

March 12, 1940 - July 29, 2023