Wayne Edward McKenney

On August 27, 1948, Wayne McKenney was born to Eleanor (Shaw) and Walter McKenney of Saco, Maine.  Wayne grew up on the Portland Road in Saco.  He had two brothers, Mike and Scott.  Wayne graduated from Thornton Academy in 1968.  On September 26, 1970 at the First Congregational Church in Saco, Wayne married Kathleen McDuffey.  Wayne and Kathy had two sons: Jesse born in 1972 and Adam born in 1975.

Wayne's life was full in so many ways.  He had a loving, close family that was comprised of his parents and two brothers, his grandparents, many cousins, aunts and uncles.  In addition to family, Wayne was loved by so many friends from Maine to Wyoming.

Wayne and family loved the outdoors.  The Deer Pond camp in Hollis, Maine and camping in Rangeley Lakes region held many wonderful memories of family gatherings and many good times.  In 1994, Wayne and Kathy moved to one of the beautiful places in our country… The Teton Mountains of Wyoming.  Jesse and Adam joined them during a time or two when Wayne and Kathy lived and worked in the Teton area.  Their love for the environment, landscape, wildlife and people wore a hole in both Wayne and Kathy's hearts luring them back to Wyoming off and on for over 20 years until the end of 2015 when their son, Jesse, died on 12/05/2015 in Salt Lake City.  Wayne and Kathy then decided to return to Maine in May 2016 and finally stayed put.  Their need to be near their younger son Adam and other family outweighed the strong urge to return to live in Wyoming.

Wayne was a musician, artist and a skilled carpenter.  He started singing in a rock and roll band named Lost Souls in the 1960's.  In the years after school, Wayne played acoustic guitar and sang with other local bands.  In Wyoming, Wayne sang and played with friends, at Jackson Hole Hootenanny on Monday nights, and at other local music jobs in the area.

Not only was Wayne a talented musician, he was an artist.  For years, friends and family enjoyed receiving Wayne and Kathy's Christmas cards.  A very special gift from such a giving and genuinely kind and sweet man.  So many looked forward to his cards for years and some collected them.

Wayne also was a craftsman.  He started building his family's homes in 1981.  He and wife Kathy built and/or renovated many houses over their near-52 years together.  Wayne's skillful talent added a creative and warm touch to all of his houses and projects.

During the Vietnam War period, Wayne served in the US Navy as a Seabee.  He worked for the Maine DOT for several years, for his brother Mike's concrete foundation business, and for himself as a concrete floor finisher.  In Wyoming, Wayne worked on a ranch, for the Grand Teton National Park as ranch irrigator, and worked with Kathy as property manager for wealthy property owners in Jackson.  In his later years in Limerick, Maine, he worked and retired (2018) for local family-owned aggregate business, FR Carroll, as a concrete truck driver and asphalt dump truck driver.

In December of 2015, Wayne and Kathy and youngest son, Adam, lost their son and brother, Jesse.  Jesse was killed in a horrific auto collision in Utah.  His death was difficult for Jesse's whole family.

Wayne learned that he had gastric esophageal junction cancer in May of 2021.  After treatment and surgery, he hoped the cancer was taken care of, but by April of 2022, tests revealed that the cancer had spread to the liver.

Wayne is predeceased by his son Jesse McKenney, his brother Scott McKenney, and his parents, Walter and Ellie McKenney.

Wayne is survived by his wife Kathleen of nearly 52 years of Saco, his son Adam and his wife Cindy of Cornish, his brother Michael McKenney of Saco and his family: wife Becky, son Tyler McKenney, daughter Colby Mickartz and his granddaughter Cecelia.

Per Wayne's request, there will be a simple graveside service at Maplewood Cemetery in Parsonsfield, Maine on October 7, 2022.

In lieu of flowers, Wayne would like donations sent to St. Jude's Children's Hospital.  There is a donation site set up in Wayne's name on Facebook.