Wayne was my eldest brother. He was born in Fort Riley, Kansas, and originally named "Virgil Wayne Prince", to Dolores Olson Prince and Virgil Levonne Prince. Virgil was in the U.S.Army at the time and with Dolores they already had a daughter named Sharon. In Wayne's first years he traveled with his mother and father to Arkansas and to California, due to the family being relocated by the U.S.Army. His brother Ronald was born in Arkansas, David in Arkansas, and Michael (yours truly) in California. By the time I was born, Wayne's parents were having marital discord and divorce was eminent. Due to alleged death threats Child Welfare and Protective Services stepped in and placed us children in foster homes. By the age of 4 or 5 Wayne was placed in the care of Stella and William Gray and I followed soon thereafter. In 1959 we were both legally adopted by the Grays. We grew up in Redondo Beach, CA and life was fairly normal for us. Our brother David was adopted by Stella Gray's cousin and her husband, Les and Mildred Taylor, so for several years we got to visit with our brother David who was now, legally, our cousin. At the age of 10, or so, David's adoptive parents took him and moved to Oregon and we never saw much of him after that. We'd only see him once every 5 or 10 years on visits.
Wayne went to Beryl Heights elementary School in Redondo Beach and then to Hillcrest Jr. High School for 7th & 8th grades. Then he went on to attend Redondo Union High School for 4 years and graduated in 1968. He left home the day he graduated and went up to Northern California. About a year later he met a very young Lola Duble and the two of them were married soon thereafter. I believe that was 1972. They had two fine sons, William and Wayne Leon who gave them many beautiful grandchildren. Wayne worked at the Arcata Redwood mill in Northern California, was a resident of Orrick, CA for several years, but later moved to the state of Washington, then Alaska, and finally settled in Southern Oregon. For the last 15 years Wayne suffered from Hepatitis C and the last two years of his life were spent in and out of the hospital. He finally succumbed to his infected liver in 2014 and was laid to rest on 09/05/2014. (Adoptive parents - 32105187 William Macy Gray and 32105131 Stella Maria Albers Gambina/Gray)
Wayne went to Beryl Heights elementary School in Redondo Beach and then to Hillcrest Jr. High School for 7th & 8th grades. Then he went on to attend Redondo Union High School for 4 years and graduated in 1968. He left home the day he graduated and went up to Northern California. About a year later he met a very young Lola Duble and the two of them were married soon thereafter. I believe that was 1972. They had two fine sons, William and Wayne Leon who gave them many beautiful grandchildren. Wayne worked at the Arcata Redwood mill in Northern California, was a resident of Orrick, CA for several years, but later moved to the state of Washington, then Alaska, and finally settled in Southern Oregon. For the last 15 years Wayne suffered from Hepatitis C and the last two years of his life were spent in and out of the hospital. He finally succumbed to his infected liver in 2014 and was laid to rest on 09/05/2014. (Adoptive parents - 32105187 William Macy Gray and 32105131 Stella Maria Albers Gambina/Gray)
Wayne was my eldest brother. He was born in Fort Riley, Kansas, and originally named "Virgil Wayne Prince", to Dolores Olson Prince and Virgil Levonne Prince. Virgil was in the U.S.Army at the time and with Dolores they already had a daughter named Sharon. In Wayne's first years he traveled with his mother and father to Arkansas and to California, due to the family being relocated by the U.S.Army. His brother Ronald was born in Arkansas, David in Arkansas, and Michael (yours truly) in California. By the time I was born, Wayne's parents were having marital discord and divorce was eminent. Due to alleged death threats Child Welfare and Protective Services stepped in and placed us children in foster homes. By the age of 4 or 5 Wayne was placed in the care of Stella and William Gray and I followed soon thereafter. In 1959 we were both legally adopted by the Grays. We grew up in Redondo Beach, CA and life was fairly normal for us. Our brother David was adopted by Stella Gray's cousin and her husband, Les and Mildred Taylor, so for several years we got to visit with our brother David who was now, legally, our cousin. At the age of 10, or so, David's adoptive parents took him and moved to Oregon and we never saw much of him after that. We'd only see him once every 5 or 10 years on visits.
Wayne went to Beryl Heights elementary School in Redondo Beach and then to Hillcrest Jr. High School for 7th & 8th grades. Then he went on to attend Redondo Union High School for 4 years and graduated in 1968. He left home the day he graduated and went up to Northern California. About a year later he met a very young Lola Duble and the two of them were married soon thereafter. I believe that was 1972. They had two fine sons, William and Wayne Leon who gave them many beautiful grandchildren. Wayne worked at the Arcata Redwood mill in Northern California, was a resident of Orrick, CA for several years, but later moved to the state of Washington, then Alaska, and finally settled in Southern Oregon. For the last 15 years Wayne suffered from Hepatitis C and the last two years of his life were spent in and out of the hospital. He finally succumbed to his infected liver in 2014 and was laid to rest on 09/05/2014. (Adoptive parents - 32105187 William Macy Gray and 32105131 Stella Maria Albers Gambina/Gray)
Wayne went to Beryl Heights elementary School in Redondo Beach and then to Hillcrest Jr. High School for 7th & 8th grades. Then he went on to attend Redondo Union High School for 4 years and graduated in 1968. He left home the day he graduated and went up to Northern California. About a year later he met a very young Lola Duble and the two of them were married soon thereafter. I believe that was 1972. They had two fine sons, William and Wayne Leon who gave them many beautiful grandchildren. Wayne worked at the Arcata Redwood mill in Northern California, was a resident of Orrick, CA for several years, but later moved to the state of Washington, then Alaska, and finally settled in Southern Oregon. For the last 15 years Wayne suffered from Hepatitis C and the last two years of his life were spent in and out of the hospital. He finally succumbed to his infected liver in 2014 and was laid to rest on 09/05/2014. (Adoptive parents - 32105187 William Macy Gray and 32105131 Stella Maria Albers Gambina/Gray)
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