Wayne Alton Beene died peacefully of natural causes on April 10, 2023, in Elko, Nevada.
Wayne was born October 22, 1938, in Los Angeles California, to Mancle Coppinger (“MC”) and Geneva Hamilton Beene.
He spent most of his childhood living among his extended family near Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Later, his family moved to Belen, New Mexico, where he graduated from high school.
He joined the Air Force, and after training in Egyptian Arabic, he was stationed on the island of Crete.
After his service in the Air Force, he was a member of an editorial team which wrote an Iraqi Arabic to English dictionary for the US Department of Education.
Following that, he began his career in mining in Kingman, Arizona, where he met and married his wife, Mary, in 1966.
He continued working in purchasing in mines in Nevada, Colorado, and California, for over 35 years, including the Amax Sleeper Mine and Couer Rochester Mine near Winnemucca, before retiring in 2001.
After retirement, he and Mary traveled extensively and enjoyed connecting with his extended family.
Wayne was active in the Winnemucca United Methodist Church, and he volunteered for many community organizations and events, including Shooting the West, Disabled American Veterans, the Republican Party, and the Pleasant Senior Center.
Wayne was preceded in death by his wife, Mary, in 2018. He is survived by his children April (Robert) Howard of Elko and Eric (Mary) Beene of Windsor, California; grandchildren Shanie Howard, Katie (Garrett) Powell, Mallory (Jordan) Taylor, and Isaac Beene; great grandchildren Paige and Avery Powell; and sister Susy Nicholas and brother Roy Beene of New Mexico.
A graveside memorial service will be held Friday, April 28, at 11 a.m. at Winnemucca Cemetery. In case of inclement weather, the service will be at Winnemucca United Methodist Church.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Wayne’s memory can be made to Winnemucca United Methodist Church, Habitat for Humanity, Heifer International, or another charity.
