Wayne Mercer
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Private burial for Wayne Mercer, 94, Lawrence will be held at a later date. Wayne passed away on Wednesday, February 3, 2021 at Brandon Woods at Alvamar.
Wayne was born on November 18, 1926 in Bush City, KS.
Wayne owned and operated the South Bank Barber Shop in Lawrence for many years.
He married Vera Lea Mercer on August 28, 1949 in Hutchinson, KS. She preceded him in death on December 11, 2017. He was also preceded in death by his son, Dennis Mercer.
Survivors include one sister, Wanda Schmidt, Smith Center, KS; primary caregivers, Diane (Ron) Hazen, Lawrence and Debbie Burke, Lawrence; long-time Friday lunch Buddy, Smitty; a niece, Rexanna (Bill) Sanders, Lawrence and many other nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made in his name to the American Cancer Society and may be sent in care of Warren-McElwain Mortuary. To post a condolence go to warrenmcelwain.com.
Sorry to hear about Uncle Wayne. I know there’s a new crowd he can be ornery around.
Wayne was a great breakfast “buddy”–always so positive and upbeat with a tale to tell along with an inquiry as to what was going on in my world.
COVID-19 ended our morning gather–i miss Wayne’s good nature and good time.
I just loved talking to Wayne when he came into the office, he was always so full of fun. He and Vera were both very special people. He will be missed!
Wayne was a kind and loved neighbor. Wayne called Karen the cookie doctor and brought cookies on a regular basis, even after he moved to Brandon Woods. Arnie and Wayne shared lots of conversations on our front porch and several trips to the casino together. Wayne will be misssed.
I met Wayne at the Caregiver Support Group at the Senior Center. That was many years ago; as he cared for his wife Vera through her struggle with Alzheimer’s
Disease. He always had that smile on his face and such a positive attitude about life! He continued to attend our group for as long as he could after Vera’s death! We missed him very much when he could no longer attend. He always brought a lot of good cheer to our group.
Uncle Wayne and I spent many fine moments in the field hunting upland game together with his cousins and milling around a toasty wood stove afterwards drinking bourbon to ward off the chill. The man was forever energetic, enthusiastic, and wickedly good-natured. “You have to keep moving!” he would tell me. Lucid to the end, he gave me many history lessons about bootlegging Deep Shaft whisky from The Little Balkans (of course he didn’t participate in such a devious undertaking) and about my ancestors many of whom died when I was too young to get to know. He and Vera were a perfect match; when in their presence, I always felt they were the happiest couple alive.
Judy Grant
Wayne or “Mush” as some people called him, always greeted me like I was the best
person he wanted to see. He was so friendly, happy and eager to share stories. Vera was the same, so they made great company. My sympathy to his family and many good friends.
I grew up with Wayne, Vera, and Dennis during M&M bakery years. My mom was an employee and I spent countless hours at the bakery. Wayne was the best! He would take me on “treasure hunts” where we would walk the train tracks looking for rocks and other trinkets. I have a lot of fond memories of him and always considered him to be like a grandfather. As with most relationships, I grew older and our visits would become fewer and farther between. It had been a few years since I last saw him but I still think of him frequently. He will be missed.
Wayne was such a lovely person….Enjoyed all of his visits, his barber shop was two doors down. After he retired he would get a hair cut and always come down to see me and let me know what was happening with Vera, who I dearly loved….Will miss Wayne.
“Mush” was a good friend for a half century. He was great company for innumerable Mexican lunches, TPA suppers and picnics, and friendly poker games. A “tin can” sailor, he served aboard a Navy destroyer, in the Pacific, during WWII. Good sailing old friend, as you join Vera Lee and Dennis.
So sorry to hear that Wayne has passed. He battled cancer for a number of years but his positive attitude kept him going. We watched a lot of KU basketball games with him an Vera over the years. He’s going to be missed by a lot of family and friends. Prayers to the family.
My husband and I met Wayne when we moved to Brandon Woods in 2017. I can honestly say he was the most friendly and upbeat person I have ever met. His positive spirit was infectious. He will be missed by many friends at Brandon Woods.
Dear Family,
I met Wayne when he and Vera were living on Ohio Street in Lawrence, which was 24 years ago. We often saw each other on our morning dog-walk. His beloved dog, Kodiak was so calm and sweet, we enjoyed our visit and I looked forward to running into him. He always had a story to crack me up and I really enjoyed his humor. Vera and Wayne were so kind to me and my family. One year, Wayne shared his special cookies with me. I kept in touch with Wayne over the phone even after we moved out of state. I enjoyed a visit with him and whenever I had a chance to visit Lawrence, I went to visit him at Alvamar. I will miss him dearly and the laughs and memories we shared. I am so honored to have known him.
Wow!
A great memory comes gushing back about Wayne and me, in an unexpected encounter in the St Patrick’s Day Parade in Lawrence many years ago.
Being a “amateur video photographer”, with a new camera, running down the streets in North Lawrence, trying to video record the parade , I was wearing down quickly.. Knowing full well it had miles to go yet, and I had been participating in the hoopla way too much, I decided to “hop on” an old Chevy pickup, that had 2 musicians in the back, playing great Irish tunes. They welcomed me aboard.
Little did I know then, that one of the musicians in the back, was Dennis Mercer, and driving his pickup was Wayne Mercer, his dad, and my barber. A copy of the video was given to Wayne as a surprise from me a month or so later. After he and Dennis watched it, FREE HAIRCUTS for a little while. Always with that great smile. Great times. That’s Wayne. Thanks Friend.