Wayne Piercy
Age - 66
November 3, 2023
Raymond Wayne Piercy was born on October 18th 1957 to Raymond and Anona Piercy in Oakland CA. He was the youngest of 5 children. He was proceeded in death by his parents as well as his brother Ken, and sister LaRae, and his daughter Sophia. He is survived by his sister Gayle, his brother Dan, His wife Georgia, His children and their spouses, and his 7 grandsons and 5 granddaughters. He grew up in Concord CA and had a typical 1960s childhood. In High school he discovered his passion for carpentry which led to his lifelong career as a carpenter. Wayne and Georgia met in 1985 and Sophia, Georgia's daughter fell in love with him first, and would tell him "I want you to be my daddy". Well, she got her wish and they were married on August 16, 1986. They had 5 children together, who are now married with children of their own- Christina and Brandon , Nigel and Joelle, Rebekah and Daniel, Hannah, and Leah and Eddie. Wayne was a devoted provider, and a fun and involved father. He instilled a love for adventure and the outdoors in his children with their many family camping trips and outdoor activities. Wayne was a man of abundant talent and had several interests and hobbies. He enjoyed ski trips in his youth and cooking for his family. He possessed unmatched craftsmanship in his woodworking skills, some of which included millwork, furniture, carving, and even innovative children's toys. He built everything from dollhouses to our houses. Its hard to find something he didn't put his hands to. He was determined in all that he did, a self learner, and had unbridled artistic talent. He taught himself the art of macrame, beadwork, languages, and he played the piano by ear. He was a talented painter and gardener, and he loved singing, which you would have been lucky to witness at one of his epic karaoke nights. A big part of his life was camping with his family. He always went the extra mile to make sure everyone had a fun and memorable time. He would take the time to go up early to secure a good spot and set up an awesome camp, to canoe around the lake to find the perfect spot to set up the zip line, and bring extra equipment like paddle boards and kayaks to ensure a good time. He taught his family the art of making the perfect s'more, how to dive for abalone and how to gather muscles for a fresh seafood feast back at camp. Wayne had many good qualities and attributes. He was always willing to lend a hand and share his talents to help others. He was a hard worker and kept busy with countless projects. He always wanted to try new things whether it was spearfishing, slack lining, scuba diving, or snowboarding. . . He was the ultimate DIYer before DIY was even a thing. He made his children innovative toys- some of which might be considered dangerous by todays standards, a macrame hammock, a huge car rack for an oversized canoe for the top of his Prius, or even attempting to make his own ham by curing a wild boar in the back room. He was a frugal man, sometimes to a fault. He saved money by making anything he could instead of buying it, reusing things in creative ways, and never wanting to waste food- so much so, that he wouldmake his kids slurp spilt milk off the table, or eat expired food. And don't put your money where his mouth is, cause he'd win every time. In February of 2021 Wayne was diagnosed with colon cancer which ultimately led to his early retirement. He took full advantage of his time and freedom. In between his chemotherapy treatments he took many trips with his wife and family. He was able to see some amazing places, like Mt. Rushmore, Arches National Park, the Grand Canyon, Hawaii, the Sawtooth Mountains and Crater Lake, just to name a few. He kept going and helping even when he didn't feel well. He helped Nigel build a tiny house in 2 months, helped with projects at his children's homes, and continued work around his house. He also changed his health habits for the better which was a big deal for him. In his later years Wayne was a lost man. Earlier this year he reluctantly agreed to attend a Celebrate Recovery meeting with his friend Jerry, which is a faith based group who's purpose is to offer freedom from life's hurts, hangups, and habits. Though he was skeptical of the process, he kept going back. He did tell the group one week and I quote "I could sooner believe in Santa than Jesus". Well, the very next week he had some different news for them. It was May of 2023 and his old friend, Mike, took him out to lunch and he gave his life back to the Lord. We prayed for that day for many, many years. God is so faithful. Everyone could see the Holy Spirit's work in his life and the positive change it produced. If you knew him, you knew he was a critic. At a family gathering one night, Wayne said 'I watched Daniel bbq, and didn't correct him once. That's how you know I have the Holy Spirit!'. And while that is a lighthearted example, it shows the real changes that translated into everyday life. He went from scoffing at prayer, to praying humbly to his Lord. Georgia and Wayne were able to worship the Lord together, which was such a sweet and healing time for them. The Lord heals us when we surrender to Him and worship Him. Wayne was willing to open up in his Celebrate Recovery group and answer hard questions, and was always willing to be honest and vulnerable, which was something people appreciated and looked up to. He made the decision to be obedient to the Holy Spirit and was baptized on September 24th. Wayne was the best Papa ever to his 12 grandchildren. Ava said she never knew what real camping was until Papa introduced them to it and she now shares that love with him. Owen was inspired by Papa to be the adventurous and social person he is today. Auby said Papa always listened when she talked to him. Sophie admired his willingness to try new things and has adopted that attribute as part of who she is. Judah loved that he never quit. Broden remembers how he would make him wooden toy weapons and take him hiking and rock climbing. Jeremy said he loved that Papa shared his scooter with him. Audri appreciated how he would spend time with them and read books to them. Branson loved how crafty Papa was, and how he built so many things, which was something most of the grandkids mentioned. Calia loved how they would feed the fish together and Jasen loved how Papa would swing him on the tree swing. We know that all things work together for good to those who love God and that was evident in Wayne's last days and in the days following his passing. And while we were praying for physical healing, we also surrendered to Gods will. We had our trust in him and ultimately He knew best. The miracle of Wayne's testimony and his change of heart was humbling to witness. It brought his family closer together and stretched and grew them. Just as precious metals must be refined by fire to remove impurities, we must walk through fire to refine us, remove impurities in our lives, and make us usable by God. Waynes passing is one such fire, and we see Gods work in it in our lives. Many, many years ago, Wayne grafted an olive branch onto his olive tree. Over the years this particular branch was tested, almost to the point of death, but it hung on. This year, in 2023, the olive branch produced fruit for the first time. Georgia took a picture of it to show Wayne because he couldn't get up to see it. Everyone was amazed that it had survived all the years and has now grown to produce fruit. That olive branch is a picture of Waynes story. He was chosen by God, grafted in to the family of Christ, long ago. He was tested over the years, but through prayer and the the power of the Holy Spirit, he produced spiritual fruit this year. And that fruit is a testimony to the real power of Jesus Christ that we have all witnessed. All glory be to God.Show more
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