Wayne Gray Wofford, Sr.

Obituary for Wayne Gray Wofford, Sr.

Wayne Gray Wofford, Sr. was born in Mexia, Texas on October 2, 1940 to Guy and Della Wofford. He was blessed with an older brother, Gene, and a younger brother, John. His mother was a 2nd generation immigrant from Czechoslovakia and worked as a beautician. His father was a barber who came from a cotton farming background in Coolidge, Texas.

Wayne graduated from Mexia High School, home of the Black Cats where he lettered in both football and the marching band. He went on to Navarro Junior College where he was president of the marching band and then headed to North Texas State University where he met the love of his life, Nancy. He graduated with a BA in Business Management and they married in 1963.

Early in his career he worked for Employers Insurance then for Farmers Insurance before landing a management position in Risk Management at Exxon which he held for 30 years. He welcomed the birth of his son Gray in 1964 and daughter Heather in 1971.

Wayne was a family man and dedicated his life to his wife and children. When he retired he and Nancy moved to Coldspring where he was very active in the United Methodist Church, Habitat for Humanity, and the Livingston Volunteer Band. He was a member of “Bugles Across America” and took great joy playing Taps at funerals to honor veterans’ life of service.

He loved to read, watch football, take care of his 10 acre property, walk his dogs, watch the deer and wildlife from his back porch and care for his wife of 56 years. His favorite role in life was as Poppy to his grandchildren Sydney (age 11) and Koby (age 8). He enjoyed playing with them, taking them to movies, eating ice cream, and going on hikes on his property. They were the light of his life that he shared his knife and coin collections with and entertained with stories of his childhood.

Wayne was a gentle, simple, quick witted and loving man who could always make you smile. He was the epitome of the word providor and was selfless in his care of his family. It as been said by many that he was one of the good guys, and this is how he will be remembered by all who had the blessing of knowing him.

He will be sorely missed by his friends, family and especially his girls, Nancy and Heather. We will never be the same without our special guy.

Wayne is preceded in death by his father Guy Lamar Wofford, mother Della Emily Koppa Wofford, and son W. Gray Wofford, Jr. He is survived by his wife Nancy Wofford, daughter Heather Wofford Albrecht and husband Kenneth Albrecht, grandchildren Sydney Gray Albrecht and Koby David Albrecht, brother Gene Wofford and wife Edwina Wofford, brother John Wofford and wife Carol Wofford, sister-in-law Janice Lauten and husband Steve Lauten, multiple nieces and nephews, cousins, and friends.

Services will be held at Pace-Stancil Funeral Home in Coldspring, Texas at 11:00 a.m. on Friday October 23rd. Reception will follow at the United Methodist Church of Coldspring.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the United Methodist Church or Care Share Food Bank, both in Coldspring, Texas