Wayne Martin Smith

Wayne Martin Smith, beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather was called home to heaven on Friday April 10th, 2026. He was 91 years old.

Wayne met his beloved Ilamae (Neason) in his junior and her senior year at Fremont Ross High School, in Fremont, Ohio. They married on August 6th,1955 and cherished 66 years together until her death on August 19th, 2021. They were blessed with two children; Deborah L. (Tim) Guzman of Waterville, OH and Dr. Steven (Marcia) Smith of Clearwater, FL. Also surviving are granddaughter Kristen (Joshua) Niese; their children Brooklyn and Levi Niese, and grandson Jacob (Sharon Hall) Guzman, all of Waterville, OH.

Wayne was born August 23RD, 1934 in Fremont, OH to the late Jacob and Ruth (Martin) Smith. His sister Patricia (Kenneth) Damschroder preceded him. Also preceding him were sisters-in-law and their husbands; Norma Jean (Kenneth) Willey, Carol (Joseph) Haubert, and Alice (John) Martin.

An Army Veteran, Wayne served 18 months in Boblingen, Germany as an E-4 Specialist Unit Clerk, and an additional 2 years with the Army Reserves. He worked many hours on the family farm in Kingsway, OH until it was sold and also generously supported his family as a Retail/Wholesale Route Driver with Tony's (later Nickles) Bakery in Fremont, OH.

The family enjoyed many wonderful vacations, annual holidays with extended family and many memorable camping trips especially with friends from the Allegro Bay Camping Club. Wayne was an avid sports fan. He loved cheering on the Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Guardians and the Tampa Bay Rays, but The Ohio State Buckeyes were by far his favorite. Their victories against the team up north and winning National Championships brought him endless joy.

Shortly after retirement, he and Ilamae packed up their new 36' Allegro Bay RV and headed south to Florida. After spending several years in Okeechobee, FL., they eventually built a home in the Kingsgate community of Port Charlotte, FL., where they lived the dream of golfing, endless sunshine, and lots of fun times with many cherished friends. Wayne especially enjoyed his time with his Dilly-Dilly golf buddies, and his family greatly appreciate how his dear Kingsgate friends supported him after Ilamae's passing. In 2024 he decided to move closer to his daughter in Waterville, OH where he enjoyed time with family and his new friends at StoryPoint Senior Living Community. Wayne will be forever loved and remembered for his unwavering devotion to his family, his Christian values, his beautiful, twinkling blue eyes, and his ability to create a party or happy gathering at the drop of a hat.

His family is eternally grateful for all those who loved and cared for Dad at StoryPoint in Waterville, OH. We feel beyond blessed to have had such a safe, caring and loving environment for him these past two years. We would also like to thank Dr. Zachary Stephan, Dr. Benjamin Salpietro and Dr. Gage Eberly and your teams for your amazing care and for treating Dad as one of your own. Additionally, we are grateful to the exceptional care teams at the University of Toledo Medical Center as well as those at Hospice of Northwest Ohio, Perrysburg, OH.

A private memorial service will be held in June. Interment: Greenwood Cemetery in Kingsway, OH. Arrangements have been entrusted to Walker Funeral Home, Maumee OH.