passed away in Paoli Hospital on October 25, 2023 at age 85. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Harriet; daughter, Karen; son, Mark (Stephanie); son, Roger; daughter, Lori (Dave) grandson, Mike (Erica) Greaves; granddaughter, Kris (Bryan) Hewitt: grandson, Steve Klein; granddaughter Julia Sigrist; grandson Ben Lilly; granddaughter Elena Sigrist; great grandchildren, Izaak Klein, Lilly and Jakob Hewitt; and sister Joyce (Bruce) Garabrandt.
Wayne was preceded in death by his daughter, Michele; an infant son; his brothers, Jim and Bill; and his parents, William and Genevieve. Wayne was born in Cresson, PA on May 5, 1938. His parents died when he was 17 and he and his younger siblings fended for themselves until Wayne joined the Air Force, where he served for four years. Wayne was employed by AT&T for the next 10 years and was transferred as a supervisor to Wayne, PA.
Wayne held several terms as Grand Knight of St. Norbert’s Knights of Columbus. He spearheaded a campaign to raise $49,000 for St. Joseph’s House, a non-profit which supports care for human life from conception to natural death, particularly widows and orphans, children and families in crisis situations.
Wayne was proud to have raised funds to supply ultrasound machines to three different pregnancy centers. These facilities offer a woman a “window into the womb” that gives her the ability to see her unborn child, to hear his or her heart beating, and to recognize the miracle of the life within her. Wayne held crab cake sales to benefit the Knights of Columbus.
Wayne was honored to be a veteran of the Korean War era. He supported the Coatesville Veterans Administration with events to benefit the veterans, through his involvement with St. Norbert’s Knights of Columbus.
Wayne had great devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe and founded his own ministry to generate devotion to her by prayer. Those in the prayer group could request prayers for any special emergency.
Wayne was an entrepreneur and invented many electronic devices, such as an ultrasonic burglar alarm system in 1971, the Voice Box, which gave voice to burglar alarms; a medical alert device; and a long-distance telephone system. He enjoyed his ’61 Austin Healy “bugeye” Sprite, mostly dismantling and reassembling it over the course over the 56 years, even until a few weeks prior to this death. Wayne was enthusiastic about landscaping and building in his yard – he planted many beautiful ferns; constructed a pond, waterfall and water wheel; and built a deck and an incredible treehouse that the family enjoyed for many years.
Wayne will be remembered for his compassion for those in need, his sense of humor, his many stories, and his dedication to his Catholic faith.
A celebration of his life is scheduled for Saturday, November 4, 2023, at St. Norbert Church, 6 Green Lawn Road, Paoli, PA. 19355. The viewing is from 9:30-10:45 a.m. followed by mass at 11:00 a.m. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Wayne’s life. The family would like to thank friends and family for their continued love and support.
Donations may be made in his honor to St. Norbert’s Parish or Daylesford Abbey.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.AllevaFuneralHome.com for the Lilly family.
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