After living a life full of love, laughter, compassion and kindness, Wayne Mack Dow died peacefully at his home, surrounded by his family.
Wayne was born Feb. 24, 1940, in Murray, Utah, to Walter “Mack” Dow and Alta Elizabeth “Betty” Dow. He was the oldest of three children. He was preceded in death by his parents and both brothers, Hal S. Dow and Lauren E. Dow.
Wayne graduated from Tooele High School in 1958. He married his grade-school sweetheart Carolyn Tate Dow and after 63 years they remained happily married until his death. They had four children together. Wayne was a member of the Church of Christ.
His careers included working for Sperry-Univac, as an electronic technician, which provided him with opportunities to work and travel to several locations throughout the United States and the world. For two longer-term projects, Wayne relocated with his family to Germany, where he and his family were able to tour most of Europe. Wayne then made a major career change and after months of training, became a paramedic with the Tooele Army Depot. For more than 50 years he was a volunteer firefighter with the Tooele City Fire Department where he served in several positions including Fire Chief. He was also a past president of the Utah State Firefighters Association.
Wayne lived his life to the fullest and loved spending time with his family and friends. He loved traveling, camping, boating, windsurfing, swimming, car shows, collectable toys, spaghetti, thrift stores, his many pets (including “Lady”) and making others smile. He valued his friendships with many people throughout the world. He was known for his quick wit and sense of humor and for constantly telling jokes and stories that were occasionally entertaining and/or funny. His smile was his most endearing feature.
Wayne is survived by his wife and four children: Julie Ann Waggoner (James), John Mack Dow, Danny Wayne Dow (Eva) and Darci Tolbert (Dave); eleven grandchildren; many great-grandchildren; and several special nieces and nephews.
A visitation will be held Friday, Feb. 14, 2020, at Tate Mortuary, 110 S. Main St., from 6 to 8 p.m. Funeral service will be Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020, at 11 a.m. A visitation will be held prior to the funeral from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m., at Tate Mortuary. Graveside service will be at the Tooele City Cemetery.