To my dear pal who wore many hats as my sincere, fun loving Oregonian chum,,,,who proved himself well as a trail blazer "work party pro" with PIMP heh,,,,,you as an enjoyable Camper-biker in Bend, Oakridge, McKenzie, always Tillamook, Waldo, Lewis R, all inclusive,,,,and my social & cultural pal as you led Sunday Parkways in 2015 ish,,,,plus attending our classical music events, etc. We had fun,,,and I will always Luv our Times Wayne-O laughing and dashing around town. Huggs to you in our Spiritual World, and Happy Birthday. Smiles.

Dear Spring Chicken 60+ WayneO, by the way how is the Sumatra Peets these days,,,,, not nearly strong enough is my guess, for you dear. We Luv you always, and when you see my folks, greet them with your Barry White vocals and apply a giant bear hug,,,,, gently as elders are fragile. We extend a great HB wish as you 3 are in a safer place. You see, we have this unusual, contagious virus circulating and as I look around,,,,, we live in a Future funky World.

Dale, I always appreciate the updates regarding your Crown Z advisory trail input now, plus Wayne's 2020 spring outstanding plaque,,,, and of multiple, generous funds from all who LOVE and respect Wayne's hard work, commitment, and jovial coolness. Thank you family, pals, Travel OR, and Lotto for all things. Dale, keep up the good work! Huggs, S. PS, someday, I shall visit the completed 'Windsor castle' of once Wayne's residence. I am sure it is stunning.

Dear Wayne, how are you in the spiritual world as I extend Luv, smiles, and ein stark cup of Peets to you always, on your birthday and throughout? Very well and cared for, i hope. In your world, pls greet Ray my dad who departed 8 most ago, at 92 fruitful years, and my OR neighbor Kathy at 63 who was similar to you, wise, respected, and surrounded by many. Regarding your restored home, I would have Luved to have seen its open house, meaning I shall revisit it some day, when I return to OR, a place I appreciate much. I think if you Wayne, and do not be a stranger,,,,,, I need another Hug. Sharon

Dear Wayne, I hope your are reviewing our posts,,,, our folks incl. Dale, Lori & Marcus, Virginia, Jeff S, Doug, etc.-- gathered (or posted) recently and socially on the CZ trail--at your handsome (trillium enhanced) bench (aka, Cathedral in the Woods). Sigh, I wish I were there. Thank you Dale, for your details of this outstanding, important day (Anniversary of Remembering you, Wayne) as you will remain in our soul (hearts & minds) for a long time. We pay attention to significant two-year dates, as this, smiles to you dear friend. Ps: someday your NE 15th (once home) will transform into 'Palazzo AirBnB.'

Dear Wayne: a dozen of us gathered to celebrate your Goodness last 8/14/16 on Sunday--we happily greeted Marcia & Horst, from Wichita KS (as they shared an orange chiffon Bernhard cake with us).

And thanks to your Pal, Motorcycle Vi, we listened to your VM via her phone of your laughter & gratitude to her, from you last March. Your voice n' heart is with us always.

Our hostesses Toni & Marcus again welcomed us well into their Nice Home, treating us to fresh crab, clam chowder soup, Sauvie Isld corn, along with our Potluck Products!

Overall, we enjoyed seeing your 4 Sisters and thanks to Dale, we viewed photos of "Green Lk, CO/UT"--your camping & biking Adventure, what fun & great beauty. Be well always, dear Wayne

Ps: I lucked out, receiving a "coffee mug trinket," from Dale (from you), as I appreciate it greatly, having your name on it.

While I was not an "old" friend like many of the others on the trail building crew, you, Wayne, made me feel like one. Big booming voice, quick smile, sense of humor, and always a welcoming hug when we saw each other. Ahhhh, the memories to be shared, and the trails to be remembered. Rest easy my friend.

Dear Wayne-OH : all of us attended your Celebration two Saturdays ago--as I realized that you hovered above us, eavesdropping & smiling. 

We shared our favorite times with you, to others. You laughed with us (and at us), as we enjoyed our "host-venue in the forest, and Buster's brisket" (your favorite), plus 99 other tasty dishes.

My past memory: in 2001 at our PIMP mtg, I brought pics as you always liked photos. Little did you know they weren't of "trails n' campouts;" as I shared my "lacerated knee." Sixteen yrs ago, I sailed from my mtn bike, ended up in Oakridge clinic, & have a 'war wound' as proof.
 
While at your Celebration: I enjoyed meeting Jean, both Carmen's, Raven, & Pimpster Howard. We shared our joy & sorrow.

Lastly, once in my car driving home, what CD reminds me of you? Karen Carpenter (both her voice & lyrics), as I sobbed n' drove; I relived all of our great moments; I miss you Wayne. We always found humor in most things. --Luv, S

I got to know Wayne while serving on the board of PUMP and NWTA. He was always so knowledgeable and caring. He was a great mentor to many people. He is missed.

I have never met anyone quite like Wayne and I feel lucky to have known him. He was an great advocate for mountain biking, and I am now learning, so much more. 

I will miss the Wayne banter, the big smile and the amazing heart. He was a good man and made any work party he attended brighter.

As we enjoy the trails in the Tillamook, we should all remember Wayne and his enormous contribution to making them what they are.

I will miss you, Buddy

It was a privilege to provide a musical tribute to Wayne at the celebration of his life May 28th. We wanted share many of the songs and tunes that meant a lot to Wayne and to us...some bluegrass and some rock and roll favorites...some upbeat and some heartwrenching. And we share the profound loss that was felt by all. Wayne was such a remarkable person, unassuming and authentic, a quiet presence and even though his rich, deep voice could resonate throughout the room, he always made more space for you. He was deeply committed to harmonizing in this world and he practiced it in his relationships...with friends and strangers alike. The world would be a different and much better place with more Waynes in it. Although he will be forever missed, we will treasure our many memories.

I first met Wayne in 1986 when he worked at the Morrison Center inpatient treatment and I worked at De Paul, both in the same building that was the old Shriner hospital. I then ran into him at my home group a few weeks later and I quickly became his friend because of a shared love of machines, mostly anything with an engine. He was a true friend and the best social worker I have ever seen in action. He taught me so many things and I will forever hear his voice and laugh. I love you Wayne, Thanks for being my friend...

I met Wayne in 1980. An acquaintance said he was looking for a weekend fill-in person to ride herd on his foster kids. I wish I could recall the first time i met him, but i don't. However, before long Wayne would be back on Saturday night around 1, and we would scarper down to the White Eagle or other similarly seedy bar for last call. Those were good, innocent times, when the future was spread out before us, limitless. 

Wayne was remarkably different from anyone I'd met to that point - I was 24, had grown up on the east coast, and only been in Oregon for a few years. Wayne had tales of working the hop fields, of bear hunting, the handling and mis-handling of firearms, and many other exotic pursuits.

I think I learned a lot from Wayne, though I now feel like I should have been a far better student. Not just the stories and maven-like knowledge of arcane subjects - though those were certainly worthy of attention. He was such a fundamentally decent, kind, generous and caring person who was all these things not because some outside force was telling him that was what he should be (hey, it'll look good on your eternal resume!) but because that's just who he was, to the core. There was absolutely no hint of self-sacrifice, no expectation of payback.

It'd be a better world if more people were made like this.

What a remarkable fellow.

I worked closely with Wayne 1993-1995. He was the manager at woodstock court apts, new housing for clients with multiple challenges. He taught me so much about addiction and recovery. He treated our clients with dignity and respect. This was a pivotal time in my life as I had just gotten divorced. Wayne taught me so much about living independently. He also taught me how to overcome my many fears. I grew to love wayne very deeply. I was so happy when wayne and I became coworkers again at multnomah county. We went out to lunch and reconnected. He never turned down a cup of freshly brewed french press coffee. Wayne often commented what a good supervisor he had and how grateful he was for her. I appreciate the post from Marcia and I remember how excited he was before you came out for your annual trip to the coast in 1994. We are all so grateful that wayne was a part of our lives.

My parents raised us that there was always room for one more guest around the Holiday table. My sister Marilyn Latham blessed my family by introducing us to Wayne and he fit right in with the rest of us. He always gave the BEST hugs and his laugh filled the room. I am so happy that his life's path crossed mine. He got to watch my kids grow up and then he loved laughing at our two granddaughters shenanigans!  Thank you for enriching our lives Wayne! We are better people because we knew and loved you! See you soon! Diona

To Wayne’s friends and family:

I wish I could be with you on Saturday (May 28th). It would be very difficult for me to travel with a broken jaw, but I do plan to come to Portland later and meet with as many of you as possible. I want to be there to swap stories, of which there are many. Wayne liked stories too and many of you are fortunate that my memory isn’t what it used to be, because there were some good ones about all of you.  

How can I find words to describe the Wayne Naillon I have been close to for 40 years? When I was thinking about what to say, I realized that he has had many close friends for at least that long or more. And that says something about Wayne. He cherished his friends and was always joyful to be with them because they brought comfort and a sense of belonging to his life. 

Wayne and I first knew each other when he had his group home and I was the social worker for the home. We laughed and cried with those kids. I remember one of Wayne's favorite sayings when a kid came home late: " I know. I know. Your tennis shoes went flat." I loved his marvelous sense of humor and irreverent way of looking at the world.  Of course, caring for others was Wayne’s life. Not just the foster kids, but the homeless, the seriously mentally ill, those with addictions—and others who most of the world ignored. He had some great stories there too.

Later, Wayne and I did many things together: We went to the beach—a lot. After I left Portland in 1989, I would try to come back at least once a year so we could make a pilgrimage. Wayne loved Oceanside. The Cranberry Festival in Bandon with little round red balls of children dressed like cranberries was a highlight. We traveled around the Pacific Northwest so he could show me his favorite places: Mt. Rainier, the Olympic Peninsula, the San Juans, Vancouver Island, and, of course, his childhood towns of Washougal and Yakima. And there were the forests and trails where he felt most at home. I thank him for teaching me about those places. To reciprocate, I took him with me to Washington D.C when I went on a business trip. He particularly liked coming up out of the subway at the Smithsonian and seeing topless females playing soccer on the Mall. Gave him a new perspective about D.C.

He taught me other stuff too: More than I ever wanted to know about cars, bicycles, trails, trees and a variety of odds and ends. I called them mini-lectures. They were not discussions. I must say I didn’t retain much from some of them, but Wayne did appear to be knowledgeable. If he loved something, he learned about it. After I left Portland, we talked on the phone and e-mailed. He hated the phone and mostly refused to answer it. I rarely got him to pick up when I called but he did call back when he was able to overcome his loathing of the instrument.

I’m so grateful that Wayne had friends and family like you. I truly wish he’d have allowed some of us to be there for him at the end. But, true to form, he protected us from his suffering. I miss him terribly. I want to call my best friend to give me solace about Wayne’s death. But Wayne was my best friend.

I met Wayne when I worked trails for ODF on the Tillamook State Forest. He came to every single trail construction volunteer day we put on. He was a hoot! Known as "Tillamook Man", he always took the rock bar as his choice of trail building tool. It wasn't just that he was funny, had that fantastic deep-voiced laugh, and had that manly chest; he emanated strength of character, dependability, and kindness. It felt like he held us together on the trail. I left ODF in 2007, but I got to see Wayne one more time, in the last couple years, when I happened to be at Reheers Camp trailhead, and there he was, on yet another volunteer trail work party. I'm so glad I got that last Wayne hug. Goodbye Tillamook Man. You gave so much. I wish you didn't have to leave so soon.

I have worked with him for around 2 years now he covered me while my husband died,and did a great job with all my mental health clients.
No one on this planet knew more about a@d than Wayne.
I know we will see each other again.
He liked to ware carharts clothes so did my husband I miss him very much and to know how he helped folks out was just the guy he was.
God bless his family see you all on Saturday I live out that way as well.

Wayne generously volunteered his time on the City of Portland's Senior Strolls program. He was appropriately known as our "Ambassador of Love," which fit him well. All the seniors loved him. His big, warm smile and genuine laugh will be sorely missed.

Dear Wayne: I am grateful for your written journal--as it is shared & read carefully, fully.
You provided sincere details, wit, and descriptions of how good (and bad) life is.
I especially enjoyed your Cycling Adventures thru 2000's, as the "best rides of your life." This brought me tears (both happy & sad). 
Overall, you provided us with an understanding of all that you endured medically & mentally.
Ps: I know nothing of our 'spiritual world', yet you are with family & friends in true peace. Huggs always, my dear Wayne.

I met Wayne at the county as I was the team captain of the BTA here at the multnomah County Lincoln building. His warm smile and his personality was a sense of positive energy that I always felt good to be around him. 

I realized he was the uncle of a friend of mine from High school (Carmen Naillon ) and I felt even more connected to him.

His positive energy and his smile will live on in my memories forever. It was a sad day when I found he was no longer with us. We lost a good soul that day.....

He will be forever missed. Keep riding into the sunset... We will meet up on one of the trails again --one day...Hugs to you in Heaven Wayne.. .. Brenda Kemple-Richards 05-23-16

Wayne, I miss you so much. But I will always remember with great joy the times we spent road cycling in the mid 90's and early 00's. Cycle Oregon. Yosemite. The San Juans. Trout Lake. And countless training rides in the Willamette Valley and Cascades. Those were some of the best times of my life. When I look back at the pictures of us and our circle of friends, all I can remember is how happy and healthy we all were. We slowed done after that but our friendship continued to grow. You were there for me when I hit bottom in 2011 and helped me find a level of personal happiness that I know will last the rest of my life. And I am just one of so many you helped in your 66 years. I'll always miss you buddy. Love, Dale

Wayne always had a hug for a friend. And wanted to know how your life was going - asking from the heart. Such a kind, gentle, giving person. I am honored to have had him as a friend.

Anytime that Wayne found "another friendly, shared laughter," he loved it (and us). I cannot describe how warm n' rich Wayne's hardy (sincere) baritone laugher (and humor) was,,,,and still is, in my heart n' mind. I will never forget you dear friend. I Luv You.