Our dear friend, Wayne Donnell Malone, left us on March 22, 2006 after a very brief illness.

His childhood was spent in Georgia, growing up in a large family that he loved and honored his whole life. During his last few years, he lived in the Florida Keys surrounded by the abundant wildlife that was always a great source of joy for him. But by far the longest, deepest and truest part of Wayne’s life belongs to Whidbey Island. He was such a good, loyal friend to so many of us here. Fun, playful, generous and always ready to listen or help if he could.

Wayne kept his friends for life. Now, along with his brothers and his sisters and his daughter, Katie, we are mourning and missing him.

From 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 6 we are gathering to celebrate Wayne’s life and express our appreciation for the time we spent together. Please help us spread the word and come join in with your favorite memories or photos or just kind thoughts at 6160 Lincoln St. (Denice’s house at Bayview). We’ll serve a barbecue dinner using Wayne’s favorite recipes to honor all those fun times he cooked for us and the joy we all shared.

Please call Denice at 321-2901 or ddinsun@aol.com if you need help getting there, directions or more information.