Wayne W Killion

died on March 31, 2013, at the age of 87. Mr. Killion is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 67 years, Christine Cooper Killion; sons, Wayne Worden Killion, Jr. (Sandy) and Christopher Howard Killion (Lynne); grandchildren Wayne W. Killion, III, Charles David Killion (Katy), Cooper Reever Killion (Ashley), Judson Shores Killion, and Graham Shores Killion; and his sister Marjorie Lowery of Foley, AL.

A native of Irwin, Iowa, he was born on August 28, 1925, the youngest son of James Lee Killion and Myrtle Augusta Andress Killion. The family moved to Foley, AL, in 1934. Mr. Killion served in the U.S. Navy during WWII as a Line Officer on the USS Ozark. He attended Tulane University and graduated from Howard College (Samford University) with a B.S. degree.

He began his business career as an accountant in public accounting, before moving into private accounting with Shook & Fletcher Supply Co. in 1949. In 1964, Mr. Killion began working for Shook & Fletcher Insulation Co. as its Vice President of Finance. In 1967, Mr. Killion and five partners bought Shook & Fletcher Insulation Co. Over the years, he served as Vice President of Finance, President, and finally as Chairman of the Board before his retirement in 2002. During his time with Shook & Fletcher Insulation Co., Mr. Killion was instrumental in it becoming one of the largest industrial insulation companies in the Southeast. The company’s growth included the establishment of a Marine division in Pascagoula, Mississippi, which insulated U.S. Naval ships at Ingalls shipyard, and the acquisition of Shook & Fletcher Supply Co., which specializes in mining equipment. In 1993, Mr. Killion founded Sunbelt Insulation Co. He was a member of the Southeastern Insulation Contractors Association and the National Insulation Association (NIA), serving as President of both organizations. In 2004, he received the NIA President’s Award, which is the highest honor bestowed by the association. Mr. Killion served as a delegate in the World Insulation Acoustical Congress Organization and as treasurer of the International Insulation Contractors Organization. In 2011, he was inducted into the Birmingham Business Hall of Fame. He spent many hours, both at home and abroad, working to ensure the growth and prosperity of the industry he loved. Mr. Killion was known throughout the insulation industry and the community as a man of character and integrity.

An active and longtime supporter of the Republican Party, Mr. Killion served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1976 and 1980. He was a member of the Downtown Kiwanis Club and served on the Board of Directors of the Birmingham Area Command of the Salvation Army for many years. He was a member of Shoal Creek, Mountain Brook Club, The Club, and Highlands Falls Country Club in Highlands, NC. Mr. Killion was especially proud of establishing the Christine Cooper Killion Scholarship Fund at Birmingham Southern College and the Christine and Wayne Killion Student Progress Scholarship at the University of Montevallo, which has been responsible for helping numerous young people reach their dreams of a higher education. He particularly enjoyed meeting personally with students who were scholarship recipients.

Mr. Killion was a member of Canterbury United Methodist Church. The family wishes to thank Gail Watkins for the care and support she provided during this time. Memorial services will be held at the church on April 4 at 1:00 PM, with visitation in the church parlor immediately afterward. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, memorials be made to the Birmingham Area Command of the Salvation Army, P.O. Box 11005, Birmingham, AL 35202.