Wayne Yoakam

March 27th, 1947 - March 17th, 2024

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.

We Entrusted Wayne Yoakam's Care To

Go to Page

When words can't fully express what we want to say, sometimes a small gift can. Visit our Memorial Store for personalized gifts, keepsake jewelry and to plant a memorial tree.

Tributes

Share a favorite memory, send condolences, and honor Wayne’s life with a heartfelt message.

Jay Ennis

Wayne was our next door neighbor for years. He was a great help to my mother, doing some work on the house before she sold andvmoved out. He was an exceptional person. Thoughtful kind empathetic. We all appreciated him. And will miss him.

Published April 6th, 2024

Carolyn Gerould

Joy we are so saddened by Wayne's passing! Wayne worked with us to make our house a home over a 30 year period. He definitely was a master craftsman with a extensive knowledge of historical architecture. When ever ever we had a project, I would loosely sketch out my ideas and Wayne would very skillfully execute all the details. He was such a good communicator and collaborator, always stopping to include me in the decision making process. It was always a pleasure to have him around for days on end, he was a gentleman, very professional, yet warm and personable. His punning sometimes got out of control causing us all to giggle and groan. :-) We adored Wayne, he made our dream house come true. Such a compassionate, caring man. Occasionally, he would bring a struggling friend on the job with him to give them a little work. Wayne lived his life with passionate love. We know he absolutely adored you Joy as he often spoke of you with great tenderness. How difficult to loose your soulmate Joy. We hope his memory and sweet puns bubble up when missing him the most. Thank you for letting us know he is know longer, making sawdust, writing stories, laughing at himself or with the world around us. We all lost a bright sparkle in our lives. Our hearts are holding space for you Joy and his family.

Published April 6th, 2024

Customize Cookie Preferences

We use cookies to enhance browsing experience serve personalized ads or content, and analyze our traffic. By clicking 'Accept All', you consent to our use of cookies. Read more