Wayne Gray Harper

Wayne Gray Harper, 74, of Olney, Maryland left us peacefully, surrounded by his family on September 24, 2020 after a two and a half year battle with cancer.

Born on July 16, 1946 and raised in Marlinton, West Virginia, he graduated from Marlinton High School, then attended the West Virginia Institute of Technology, earning a degree in Electronic Engineering.  An Army veteran, he bravely served his country during the Vietnam war, then continued to serve as a loyal government civil servant for the Department of Defense for 28 years.  He then went to work for the MITRE Corporation as a government contractor, until officially retiring in 2012.

A proud native son of West Virginia, he enjoyed frequent trips back home, spending time with his family and friends, sharing stories of his youth, growing up in the Mountain State, to include time spent earning his Eagle Scout status and working for the forestry service in the Monongahela National Forest as well as stories of his worldly travels.  In his later years, he very much enjoyed attending his grandchildren’s sporting events, hearing about the busy lives of his many nieces and nephews, and assisting and consulting on various household projects.

He is survived by his loving wife of 35 years, Carol; daughter Brenda (Robert) Falany; son Derek (Jennifer) Young; beloved grandchildren, Kylie and Michael Young; brother Dan (Beth) Harper; nieces and nephews; friends who are family; also his faithful fur companion, Joey.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Grace, and sisters, Barbara (Porter) Smith, Sue (Charles) Richardson, and Diane (Gary) Crane.

He will be remembered as an honest, respected, quiet man who was a role model and father figure to many, loved by all, and who was simply known for being, “such a good guy”.  He will be missed dearly.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions there will be no services planned at this time.  Instead, the family asks that you please take a moment to recall how Wayne may have impacted your life, and to feel free to express your condolences to the family and share your memories of him on the tribute page.  In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests that you consider making a donation in his name to either the Infusion Center at MedStar Montgomery Medical Center @ http://www.giving.medstarhealth.org/mmmc-infusion-center or to Montgomery Hospice of Rockville, Maryland, two organizations they are extremely grateful to for the tremendous support and compassionate care they provided to Wayne and his family.

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