Our beloved father, grandfather, and great-grandfather Wayne was called home unexpectedly on May 8, 2023. Wayne was born on June 8th, 1936, in Colburn, Colo., to Prairie and Zella King. When he was 16 he moved with his father and two brothers to Orleans, where according to Wayne they all lived in a tent on the old mill property that they worked at.

It was there in Orleans that Wayne met the two women who gave him the greatest joys in his life. He met Marilyn, who gave him his oldest daughter, Marla. He met and married Elsie, who gave him Kristen, Wayne II and Charla.

In 1958 Wayne was drafted at age 22 into the U. S. Army. Right about now most folks are thinking, “But wait, Wayne was a Navy man, what gives?” Well as he told it the story goes like this:  “Me and Billy Horn and Joe Horn and Dick Wolf all got drafted at the same time, so we all went to town together to the recruiting office. They were getting ready to send us to Fort Ord, he (the recruiter) says ‘you’ve only got one option, you can defer and join another branch, either way you’re leaving today’. My brother-in-law Ran Beck always said, ‘go in the Navy’, so that’s what I did, ‘cause that Navy’s where it’s at”.

Wayne was sent to bootcamp in San Diego. He was then stationed there after finishing bootcamp, and was assigned to the USS Oklahoma City. From there he was deployed to shore patrol in the Saigon River area of Vietnam. After San Diego Wayne was also stationed in Bremerton, Wash. During his time in the Navy Wayne was sent to “Nookie Pookie” school as he called it and became a certified nuclear welder. He was assigned to the “Floating White House” where he met and shook hands with President Kennedy. Wayne was able to go to seven continents, see thirteen countries, and became a “Double Shellback” (meaning he crossed the international date line twice while on board a Navy vessel).

After leaving the Navy, Wayne, and Elsie along their three kids moved back to Orleans, where Wayne held many jobs and hobbies. He started King Trucking and drove logging trucks to the mill and timber trucks from the mill. He went into business with his younger brother Bert, and after his divorce he owned the Ishi Pishi club, a one-of-its-kind bar in Orleans. Wayne eventually moved from Orleans to the coast, near the mill in Arcata where he stayed for a few years before he settled in the Hoopa Valley. He remained there in the Valley for over 25 years, until he moved home to Orleans two years ago.

He spent many Memorial Days cooking hundreds of pancakes for the annual VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) pancake breakfast in Willow Creek. He was active with VFW in both Hoopa and Willow Creek until his passing. When Wayne “retired” from trucking he started to carve some of the most beautiful abalone and antler earrings and hair sticks. You’d be hard pressed to walk through Hoopa, Orleans or Willow Creek and not see at least a couple pairs of his earrings hanging from a lobe or two.

Wayne was preceded in death by his parents Prairie King and Zella Morris, his son Wayne II, brothers Orval and William (Bert) King, brother-in-law Ran Beck, sister-in-law Barbara Pearson and her husband Bill Pearson, loved ones Elsie King Gillespie and Marilyn Attebery.

Wayne is survived by his daughters Marla Hillman (Randy) and Kristen and Charla King. His Grandchildren; Bambi Maxwell (Vinny), Leaf Chook (Annelia), and Ike Hillman, Harold “Sonny” (Tawnia) and Kristofer (Mariah) Mitchell, Wayne III (Rena), Eric, Ruby, Vanessa, Chloe, and Violet King, Sereena and Travis King. Great-Grandchildren; Tishannik Bowen, Carter and Marilyn Maxwell, Ishikiihara and Vuunsip’ Hillman, Bessie, Grant “Son Son”, Keech, and Thadeus Hillman, Javon and Jaliya Mitchell, Kristofer “KJ” Jr and Davonte “Hanky” Mitchell, BellaAnn, Wayne IV, Kion and Lovayah King. Wayne is survived by his brothers Delbert “Bert” and Gary King and Sisters Helen Beck and Evelyn King. He has far too many nieces and nephews to list but he loved each and every one of them.

Wayne is also survived by his honorary family — Kadoo Henry, Lacie Lewis (Justin), beloved “grandson” Brady Brink, Lindsay McCovey and Uriah Cheng, WU-Ti McCovey and Tee-tom, Neveah, Sregon Stone and Sregon Barney McCovey.

Wayne’s family is currently planning a celebration of his extraordinary life and will make announcements once a date and time are settled on. In lieu of flowers please consider donating to or volunteering with the Willow Creek VFW or your local hall in Wayne’s honor.

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