Wayne Yoakam

Wayne Yoakam was born on March 27th in 1947 and raised on a farm in Central Ohio. He died peacefully on March 17th in 2024 in Portland, Oregon, just 10 days shy of his 77th birthday. M. Joy Young, his wife of nearly 32 years, was by his side. Wayne and Joy enjoyed a loving, devoted relationship and were married on the Spring Equinox of March 21st, 1992.

Wayne was the first member of his entire family to go to college, graduating with a BS in education. After working as an agronomist in Costa Rica for three years, he returned to the US and taught high school English, but soon decided that teaching was not his true calling. He learned the craft of woodworking and worked as a master finish carpenter for almost forty years, except for a two-year hiatus in the nineties, when he and Joy were Peace Corps volunteers in Lesotho, Africa. It was during their Peace Corps service that Wayne wrote his first book, “Song of the Dragon.” Wayne was a meticulous craftsman and did excellent work, and was always in high demand. His woodworking business was called “Plumperfect,” and a very fitting name it was.

Wayne’s most recent book is a children’s story, published by Fulton Books, “The Marvelous Adventures of Baxter the very famous Broad backed Bear and His Fabulous Friends.” This is a charming and fascinating story of a baby bear that discovers a special talent for dancing and twirling that leads him on a thrilling journey around the world.

Wayne, who sometimes referred to himself as Clarence, loved puns. He was a punster who would see the humor in situations and visualize words by instantly breaking them up in his head. Besides his sense of humor, Wayne was a painter, creating vibrant water colors with paint right out of the tubes. He had plans to illustrate his next book.

Wayne Yoakam is survived by his wife, M. Joy Young, his brothers Steve Bormuth and Sam Bormuth of Ohio, sister Stephanie Beech of Arlington, Ohio, his sisters-in-law Loresea Young of Portland, Oregon, Rhee Morton of Vancouver, Washington, and many wonderful and caring friends. Wayne was preceded in death by his parents Wayne E. Yoakam and step father Marion Bormuth and his mother Luella Bormuth.

No memorial is planned at this time. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the charity of your choice.