Wayne Smith Thorne

Wayne Smith Thorne (83) passed away peacefully on Monday, April 13, 2020, surrounded by family. Born in Washington, DC, on January 18, 1937, he was preceded in death by his loving wife, Kathryn Mason Thorne, and is survived by their daughters, Karen Dianne Boyd (Douglas) of Lothian, MD, and Sharon Kaye Thorne-Sulima (James) of Churchton, MD, and two grandsons, Nicholas Sebastian Boyd and Cameron Preston Boyd, of Lothian, MD. Son of the late Elizabeth “Bessie” Marie (Smith) and Edwin Wallace Thorne, he was raised on the family farm in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, with his brothers, Cecil and Robert, and sisters, Phyllis and Bessie Ann. He graduated from Frederick Sasscer High School in 1954 and enlisted in the United States Navy. He served for several years as a corpsman at Bethesda Naval Hospital. After his discharge, he met Kathy Mason, and they were married on August 30, 1959, at Mt. Harmony United Methodist Church in Calvert County. They started a family, and Wayne went to work at the Giant Food warehouse in Landover. He later became a paint contractor for the Mason family business, Hamilton Decorating. When the company closed after the death of his father-in-law, Wayne started K&S Decorators, naming it after his daughters. He loved spending time with his family. He was “Troop Dad” for his daughters’ Girl Scout troops, chaperoned band competitions and class trips, attended holiday concerts, and provided shuttle service. When grandchildren, Nick and Cam, came along, Poppy happily attended events with them, including soccer games, science fairs, school spaghetti dinners, silent auctions, and Grandparents’ day. He loved helping others, hauling pallets of food for Help-By-Phone at District Heights Presbyterian Church, and stuffing holiday meal baskets for needy neighbors through St. James Episcopal Church. He looked forward to doing the bread run for the South County Faith Network, washing dishes at church dinners, and volunteering with maintenance projects. He was a proud 45-year member of the American Legion. Wayne loved reading, going out for a big breakfast, picking crabs, keeping his bird feeders full, and caring for his stray cats. He enjoyed many years as a season ticket holder of the Washington Redskins and Capitals and was thrilled to celebrate the first Stanley Cup victory for DC in 2018. He was an ace card player and enjoyed Spades and Setback marathons. He loved to travel with his family, creating countless memories on their journeys, including cruises to the Caribbean and Alaska, an Australian expedition, adventures in Hawaii and Tahiti, touring America, and yearly trips to Ocean City and the Outer Banks. Never one to miss a good nap by the seaside, his family joked with him that he had slept on some of the finest beaches in the world. Big Wayne was a loving, big-hearted, kind father and grandfather who always put family first and was never too busy to help another. He will be missed greatly, but he lives on through the lives that he touched with his generous spirit. He now holds the hands of his beloved wife and our Lord & Savior, possibly while walking on one of the finest beaches in Heaven. A private interment will be held at Crownsville Veterans Cemetery. When our society can safely assemble once more, the family will host a celebration of Big Wayne’s life. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Hospice of the Chesapeake, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena, MD 21122. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Wayne Smith Thorne please visit our Sympathy Store.