See ya, Wayne Gault

“In the laughter of children, the beauty of nature, a smile from a stranger and in a thousand other moments, your loved ones live on forever.”

Wayne Gault’s wife sent this to me this morning.

Hi. My name is Angie Gault, wife of Wayne Gault.  I wasn’t sure if you were the gentleman running your Auburn High School class of 1964 web page or not.  I wanted to let you know that Wayne passed away this morning after a 2 and a half year battle with cancer.

Angie Gault’s obituary for her husband.

Wayne Gault passed away, October 7, 2015, after a two and a half year battle with cancer. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on August 24, 1946 to Elmer and LaVon Gault, both preceding him in death.

He is the oldest of 3 children. His brother, Fred Gault lives in California and his sister, Paula lives in Minnesota.

Wayne is the father of 7 children. Wayne Gault of Wisconsin, Teresa Gault of Michigan, Craig Gault of Wisconsin, Lisa & Laura Gault of Florida, and Brian & Melanie Gault of Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is grandfather of 5.

Wayne graduated from Rockford Auburn High School in 1964. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois. After spending 20 years with the Illinois Department of Transportation, he moved into consulting work in Virginia, Maryland, Florida, Georgia, Texas and Oklahoma.

Wayne did many aspects of roadwork including resident engineer with IDOT, but most of his career was spent in designing highways, bridges, visitor center, weigh stations etc.

Wayne loved to fish. He also loved his work and programming his computer to do the designs of many roads. Burial will be in Stillwater, Oklahoma

Strode Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.

Wayne’s in the middle row, sixth from the left, with all the curly hair.

Thanks Mama for taking the time to write down the kid’s names.

 

I’ve known Wayne since the first grade. We had classes together, played together on the playground, pushed each other around in the halls and generally had a good time in our eight years at Whig Hill Grade School.

I called Joe Musso this morning and while we re-lived the good old days, he reminded me that Wayne lived right behind him on Coleman or Vincent or one of those streets across from Whig Hill. I’ve got some other pictures to scan and put up here later.

Now I put 2 and 2 together and figured out who put all the crazy curves, dead ends, and roundabouts on our state roads, Wayne Gault. Thanks, buddy.

I have two favorite memories of Wayne.

True Story #1.  It must have been in our sophomore year at Auburn, after we left Wilson Jr. High.

I was walking down the hall at Auburn and I see Wayne and his football buddies coming towards me. Whoa. I about shit my pants, he was huge. He must have spent all summer eating pizza and drinking chocolate malts. His shoulders were about four feet across. Wow. What big lug he turned into.

When we got closer, dummy me, I could see why he was so big. He was still wearing  his football uniform with the pads.

True Story #2.  We were having a big 8th grade dance at Whig Hill. After days and days of agonizing, I finally got up the nerve to call up one of the many girls I liked, and she was also one of the prettiest girls in school.  After calling and hanging up several times from losing my nerve, I finally got her on the phone.

She said she’d like to go with me but couldn’t because she didn’t have a new dress to wear. (Heck I didn’t care what she wore, just go with me.) But I was bamboozled by the oldest excuse in the world. “I have nothing to wear.” (Note: her father had just died a week or two before so that may have had something to do with her not wanting to go.)

Whew, I was off the hook. Now I could go to the dance and pester all the other girls.

So to make a long story short: I’m at the prom trying to look like I’m having fun and guess who comes in the gym door. . . Wayne Gault and the girl who couldn’t go with me because she didn’t have anything to wear.

Whatever she was wearing she was the prettiest girl there. It took years of therapy for me to recover from that one. Ha, ha.

It sure made me mad and I may have cried a little, but I wasn’t mad at Wayne.  If I was a girl, I’d have waited for Wayne to call me, too. For years I kept telling myself, “it must have been his curly hair.”

Wayne Gault and Auburn High Lettermen

Fast forward.  If I’d known how things were going to turn out, I’d have gone to the 50-Year Reunion, just to see Wayne one more time. To bask in the glory of being your friend. (And maybe pick up a new girlfriend.)

 

Wayne Gault 1964 Auburn football team

 

So like I always say, call up that old friend you haven’t seen in years. One day it’ll be too late because you might be the one who won’t be around the next time.

Wayne Gault ready to go.

Wayne Gault great swimmer in two places

Wayne Gault, varsity swimmer

Good fishing and swimming for all eternity.

Rest in peace my old friend.

Kenny

PS. As Joe Musso always says to me, “See ya!”