Wayne Gaylord Crawford

Wayne Gaylord Crawford was born near Langley on Jan. 29, 1939, to Villa Gaylard Crawford and Clayton Crawford. His journey through life on this earth ended with his wife of 38 years Cathy Lester Crawford, and their children, Clarissa Crawford, John Hinsz, and Hannah Crawford Hinsz at his side on Dec. 28, 2006, in Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland, Ore. He died due to perineal mesothelioma, an cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.

After a childhood spent on dairy farms and chicken ranches with his siblings and Grub and Kinskie cousins, Wayne found employment in Bremerton at the Navy shipyards as an apprentice pipe coverer. The next 10 years were spent between working in the shipyards and serving four years in the Air Force.

Soon after his marriage to Cathy Lester in 1968, Wayne moved south to Portland to be a tank truck driver, a childhood dream. The driving was great, the loading and unloading not so bad, but the chaining up and removing chains from the truck’s tires in bad weather was just awful. For 28 years he worked out of the same terminal for St. Johns Transport, Widing Transportation, Arrow Transportation and, finally, Matlack.

After retiring from driving semis, Wayne continued to work for several years until taking an early retirement. His last years were difficult as the health issues caused by his exposure to asbestos in the shipyards progressed.

Wayne will be missed as a regular guy who had the biggest and brightest smile in a crowd, who was willing to share his thoughts with others, laugh at himself, and had an abiding Christian faith. He was proceeded in death by his parents and siblings Dale Crawford and Myrtle Crawford Howe.

Wayne is survived by his wife, daughters and son-in-law, sister Linda Feit, nieces Raelene Naftziger, Karen Goldthorp, Dana Howe and Theresa Kofford and nephew Roger Howe, and all of his many Grubb, Kinskie, Wildes and Gaylard cousins.

His memorial service is 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27 at St Matthew’s Episcopal Church, Portland, Ore. Remembrances to the Alaska Outdoor Council.