Wayne was born on September 18, 1946 in Los Angeles, CA to Warren & Marian Richards. He
graduated from Trade Tech in 1966 with a degree in automotive repair and technology. He
married Donna, in 1968. Wayne began his career as an automotive mechanic in 1966. In 1977,
he became a business proprietor and opened his own automotive repair shop named, Solo
Performance. In the early 1980’s he moved his business to its current location in North
Hollywood. Wayne was an avid car and aviation enthusiast. He raced his own cars at Willow
Springs, Laguna Seca, and Riverside Raceways. He flew his Pitts aerobatic biplane and every
year enjoyed flying his Thunder Mustang to the Reno Air Races. He had a sense of adventure,
which he shared with his family. He will be deeply missed by his family, friends and all who
knew him.
Wayne is survived by his wife Donna; son and daughter-in-law Mark & Ana Marie; son and
fiancée Brian & Cammie and 3 grandchildren Cayla, Kyle and Kurt. He is preceded in death by
his parents Warren & Marian Richards and uncle and aunt Harvey and Anne Marie Finstead.
A memorial is scheduled for January 25, 2020 at 11:00am at North Hollywood First United
Methodist Church located at 4832 Tujunga Ave, North Hollywood, CA 91601. A reception will
follow. Pastor Steve Peralta will officiate the memorial. All are welcome to attend and celebrate
Wayne’s life. In lieu of flowers, please send a donation to the Southern California Labrador Retriever Rescue (sclrr.org) or American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (aspca.org)
