Remembering Community Leader Wayne McLaughlin
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Chillicothe is mourning the passing of local civil rights advocate and community leader, Wayne McLaughlin, who died Monday, December 8th at his home in Wilson, North Carolina. He was 78.
McLaughlin and his wife Gwen recently moved to North Carolina after nearly four decades of living in Chillicothe.
“Wayne was a highly respected man not only in this community but all over the state of Ohio” Ross County NAACP President Adrienne D’Souza shared with Litter Media. McLaughlin’s passing was released in a Facebook post by the Ross County Unit of the NAACP. McLaughlin was the Unit’s former Political Action Chairman. “He was a civil rights advocate and a community minded person who really tried hard to improve the quality of life for people who were less fortunate” D’Souza added. “Wayne served on many boards in the community and was always ready to lend a helping hand. His contributions to our NAACP chapter & this community will never be forgotten.”
McLaughlin will be remembered as a man who loved people and sharing about faith, through preaching as well as singing the Gospel and a passionate, tireless advocate for the community.
He found his way to Chillicothe while working for the U.S. Department of Energy, moving to southern Ohio by way of the nuclear facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee to the Portsmouth Uranium Enrichment Plant near Piketon. He spent some time as the Human Resources Director for the City of Chillicothe and was Executive Director of the Ross County Community Action. He also served on many civic boards and organizations including the Good Samaritan Food Network, Carver Community Center, Ross County Reentry Coalition, Ross County S.A.L.T. Council, and Chillicothe-Ross Community Foundation among them.
He also served in many positions in the Masons, Ionic Lodge #6 and in Order of Eastern Star, P. H. A. St. Elizabeth #6 OES. He served at the top as Grand Worthy Patron.
“Wayne was a truly dedicated member of the community” Scott Graham, CRCF Executive Director told Litter Media. “He brought wisdom, passion and commitment to improving the quality of life for all Ross County. His contributions to our work will be deeply missed.”
Former Chillicothe Parks & Recreation Director, Dave Tener met McLaughlin as members in the Chillicothe Noon Rotary Club and as singing partners. “Wayne’s booming voice was a treat” said Tener. As I got to know him and knew more about his community service, it was apparent he was here to serve. Hearing Wayne speak of his youth, and Martin Luther King marches and rallies, I soon understood that Wayne was called to be a community servant. A God appointed man spreading God’s love. I am so fortunate to have crossed paths with such a great man.”
“I first met him when he was the Director of Ross County Community Action” said Chillicothe Mayor Luke Feeney. “Wayne had a genuine love for this community and was a tireless champion for the marginalized. He became a friend and a mentor. We worked together on many projects, big and small, and I’ll never forget that whenever we ran into an obstacle and the path to completion wasn’t clear, he would shrug it off and say ‘We’ll get it done. You hear me?’ And he was right, we always did. He had a persistent mindset that no task was too tall and had a way of encouraging those around him to see life through that same lens. I’m keeping his wife, Gwen, and his family, in my thoughts and in my prayers. He will be missed.”
McLaughlin is survived by his wife Gwen and daughters, LaShandra and Micole.
Funeral services for McLaughlin are being handled in his hometown of Danville, Virginia by Fisher & Watkins Funeral Home with services conducted Sunday, December 14th at Bethel Baptist Church with Rev. Clarence McLaughlin, Eulogist. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to be made to The Samarion Foundation.
