Wayland Fredrick Vereen, age 87, passed away peacefully at his home Friday, January 28th, 2022. Wayland was born on August 26, 1934, in the Makatoka area of NC, near the Green Swamp. He graduated from Hallsboro High School, and received an Associate of Science degree from the RCA Institute in New York. He was stationed in Korea while serving in the Navy during the Korean War and traveled the world while serving in the CIA. When he returned home to Brunswick County, he ran several small businesses, including a Curtis Mathis TV Sales and Repair business, and Dixie LP Gas.
In addition to his incredible work ethic, Wayland also believed strongly in public service. He was elected as a Brunswick County Commissioner, appointed to the Social Services Commission and Marine Fisheries Commission, and was also awarded the prestigious Order of the Long Leaf Pine award. He also served his community through a variety of organizations as a member of the VFW, the Moose Lodge, and as an Officer in the local Lion’s Club. Wayland also proudly called Ocean View United Methodist Church his church home for over 50 years.
Whether through his military service, his businesses, his political service, or his participation in community organizations, Wayland’s life was always about serving others. He loved nothing more than helping his neighbors; always had a smile and a hearty laugh; and was always ready for a good conversation. Above all, Wayland was a family man who adored his family. He was devoted to his wife, Linda, reminding her daily throughout their 44-year marriage that she was the apple of his eye. He loved to spoil Linda and would do anything in the world for his children, Amy, Angela, and April. He would start every day asking if there was anything he could do to make their day brighter. He opened his home and his heart to many foreign exchange students and they, too, became part of his family. He had the incredible skill of making each of his many daughters know they were his favorite. He also adored spending time with his grandson, Malcolm Wayland, fishing and having him help him repair things around the house; and always loved the stories and laughter that his granddaughters, Skylar and Haley, shared when they visited. He couldn’t have been prouder of his grandchildren and loved each more than life itself. Montana also held a special place in Wayland’s heart; he loved the land and the big sky, and he especially loved his extended Montana family that always welcomed him there as if he were home. Through the years, so many neighborhood kids passed through the house and Wayland gladly welcomed them into his home and into his heart; and many, like Randy Wilson and Patty Herman-Mays, he loved as if they were his own.
Wayland is preceded in death by his father and mother William and Hazel Vereen, his sister Joy Formy-Duval and his nephew Johnny Vereen III. He is survived by his wife, Linda Vereen; his daughters, Amy Coggins, Angela Coggins-McDonald, and April Coggins; his son-in-law, Alan McDonald; his brother Johnny Vereen II; his brother-in-law Gene Formy-Duval; his grandson, Malcolm Wayland Coggins; his granddaughters Skylar and Haley McDonald; his many nieces and nephews; and his honorary daughters, Yuko Suenaga-Singh, Hannah Nilsson Holmberg (Sweden), Izumi Kaeriyama (Japan), Shinobu Suzuki (Japan), Fernanda Tambellini (Brazil) and Seiko Ohara (Japan).
In line with Wayland's wishes to avoid any fuss, there will not be any formal services. In lieu of flowers, we ask that you simply do a kindness for someone else. Wayland lived his life through kindness and we can think of no better way to honor his memory.
Peacock-Newnam & White Funeral and Cremation Service (910) 457-6944 1411 N Howe St. Southport, NC 28461
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