Wayne Charles Padgett

Wayne Charles Padgett On Oct. 9, 2024, this world lost the gentle and joyful soul of Wayne Charles Padgett of Manassas VA. He was 67 years old. Wayne was born Nov. 4, 1956, the 3rd of 9 siblings born to the late Lowell F. and Dorothy L. Young Padgett. He was predeceased by two brothers, John S. Padgett and David L. Padgett, and is deeply mourned by his surviving siblings: Wesley Padgett and Deborah Gore of Manassas, Barbara Padgett of Mentor OH, Amy Leddon of Fredericksburg VA, Walter Padgett and wife Liisa of Arvada CO, and Samuel Padgett and wife Wendy of Richmond VA. Wayne was born with an intellectual disability which limited his world but did not define him. As a child, he was unable to attend “normal” public schools, as this was a time before the Americans with Disabilities Act and the mainstreaming of students with his disability; but he was excited to attend Independent Hill School with children like himself. He liked his teachers and classmates, enjoyed learning. and proclaimed the cafeteria food “delicious.” He learned to read and write at an approximate first-grade level, aided by a prodigious memory which he retained until he died. Wayne never forgot what he learned or the details of an event he enjoyed. Most of all, he never forgot the face of a friend. Wayne learned to read simple children’s books—he was partial to Dr. Seuss—and developed the life-long hobby of writing simple one-page stories or short narratives about people he knew. Wayne’s family liked to think that, if he hadn’t been intellectually disabled, he would have been an author—but in Wayne’s view, he already was. He was proud of his stories and loved to read them aloud. As an adult, Wayne worked for a few years as a custodian through a supported employment program. Soon after taking the job, he was promoted to a lead position. He was proud and enthusiastic about his work and liked his supervisors and co-workers. In his mind, and throughout his life, everyone he met was his friend. He became known among program administrators as a teller of corny jokes, which he often mangled while laughing heartily. Unfortunately, Wayne’s custodial job ended when the supported employment program lost the contract for custodial work. He took another supported position, washing dishes in a restaurant, but left after breaking a few too many dishes and cutting himself badly. Keeping a facility spotless was his talent; handling china and glassware, not so much. Sadly, in his 50’s and 60’s, Wayne’s body began to show its limitations. He survived a heart attack and developed other chronic medical conditions. Perhaps worst of all, he became unable to walk; and he grew increasingly frail. Any infection raged through his body and sent him to the hospital. For the last months of his life, Wayne lived in a nursing facility, where he could receive the level of care he needed. While there, to the surprise of his family and despite his frailty, he developed a social life. He learned to play Bingo with other residents, attended church with them twice a week, and for a while attended group exercise sessions in the cafeteria, despite that he was too weak to do much exercising. He wheeled himself up and down the hall every day to say “hi” to his friends—which included every resident he knew and every staff member in the facility. On the day Wayne’s huge heart gave out, his final words were a request to get out of bed and go see his friends. His family takes comfort in believing that the next friends he saw were the angels. May God bless the soul of Wayne Charles Padgett, who loved his fellow man. ------------------ Funeral services for Wayne C. Padgett will be held at Pierce Funeral Home, 9609 Center St., Manassas, on Saturday, Nov. 9th. Guests will begin gathering at 12:00 noon, with the funeral service at 1:00 pm, the Rev. Robert Gordon officiating. There will be a private burial. In lieu of flowers, Wayne’s family asks that contributions be made to The Arc of Northern Virginia, serving individuals with intellectual disabilities. Contributions may be made via their website.

Wayne Charles Padgett

November 4, 1956 - October 9, 2024