Wayne McIntyre, of Ellerbe, died and departed for his next assignment “guarding the streets of Heaven” on Sept. 22, 2026 in Wadesboro.
Funeral service will be 2 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28, 2026 at Carter Funeral Home, Ellerbe Chapel, with the Rev. Roger Paxton officiating. Burial will be 10 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29. 2026 in the VA National Cemetery in Salisbury with military honors.
The family will receive friends from 1-1:50 p.m. prior to the service on Monday at Carter Funeral Home, Ellerbe.
Wayne was born in Richmond County on Oct. 4, 1941 to the late Sidney Clyde and Sara McKay McIntyre.
Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by his daughter, Lori; a sister, Joyce; brothers, Sidney Jr. and Graham; a granddaughter, Michelle; and a great-grandson, Aaron McIntyre.
Wayne graduated Ellerbe High School in 1959 as president of the senior class and immediately joined the Marine Corps. After Boot Camp at Parris Island South Carolina, he attended The United States Naval Academy Preparatory School in Maryland for one year. He then attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. From July 1963 until April 1966, he served as Marine drill instructor at Parris Island. He served one year in Vietnam and finished his Marine career in Washington, D.C.
He worked for ITT-Continental Baking Company as sales manager in Washington, D.C. He moved to the Atlanta area in 1975 and was a distributor for Little Debbie Snack Cakes until 2004. During his time in Atlanta, he served as a baseball umpire, a basketball coach and referee, a football referee and a softball umpire. He was proud of the influence he had in his recruits as a drill instructor and as an official and coach in sports.
Upon moving to the family homeplace outside of Ellerbe, he became active in youth sports and in military veteran organizations in Richmond County, especially in the Marine Corps League. He worked with the Marine Toys For Tots Program and was a member of and attended Concord United Methodist Church since 1947.
Wayne enjoyed gardening and was most proud of what he called his “okra ministry,” where he gave his crop throughout the area and neighboring areas and to the VA Hospital in Salisbury.
Wayne is survived by a son, David Wayne McIntyre (Lisa) of Loganville Georgia; a grandson, Drew McIntyre (Danielle) of Loganville; great-grandchildren, Rachel, Daniel and Isaac; brother, Bobby McIntyre Sr. of Mount Gilead; and numerous nieces and nephews and cousins.
