Wayne Soloman Guthrie went home to be with the Lord on October 20, 2023. He passed away peacefully at his home in Campbell, Texas, with his wife Katie by his side.
Wayne was born to Rutha Lee Hopper and George Soloman Guthrie in Cleveland, Mississippi, on February 2, 1947. He was raised by his Mama and step-father, William “Bill” Joseph Stukenborg Jr., and graduated from Rosedale, Mississippi, High School in 1965. On February 19, 1966, he married Katie Mae Cauley in Ruleville, Mississippi. They had three daughters before moving to Texas in 1976, where he lived the remainder of his life. They lived a few years in Amarillo, Texas, before spending 25 years in Port Arthur and Groves.
Wayne gave his life to the Lord as a young man and was active in church his entire life. He began singing with a church group in his mid-20s and learned to play the guitar (with only one 3½ minute lesson) in his 30s. He continued to sing and play in church and at various Gospel singings throughout his lifetime, even recording and burning his own CDS which he graciously shared with family and friends.
Wayne was a career telephone man, beginning as a home installer/repairman with South Central Bell in 1969. Over the years, he transferred to Southwestern Bell and eventually AT&T, working in a variety of departments (business installation/repair, computer maintenance, data & teletype, lineman crew, and special services repair). He was laid off as surplus at one point, but he was re-hired a couple of years later when the company needed knowledgeable and experienced personnel. He retired in 2009 with 38 years of combined service.
In addition to singing and playing the guitar, Wayne enjoyed fishing, hunting, lawn care, and all types of handyman jobs. He was always available with a trailer (and a dolly or two) when anyone (especially one of his girls) needed help moving. After retirement, Wayne and Katie moved to Campbell, Texas, where he worked part-time delivering parts for O’Reilly Auto Service in Commerce, Texas.
He is survived and deeply loved by his wife of 57+ years Katie Mae Guthrie, daughters Brenda (Michael) Barker, Melissa (Robert “Robbie”) Gross, and Sandra “Pinky Dee” Guthrie; grandchildren Trey (Christina) Barker, Nichole Hargrove, Natashia Braneff, Paige Barker, and Laurie Barker; great-grandchildren Andrew, Mariah, Aubrey, Adalynne and Penelope; as well as brothers Bobby, James, Billy, and Grady, sisters Debra and Georgia Ann, and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews and other extended family.
He is preceded in death by his mother, Rutha Lee Hopper Howard, step-father William “Bill” Joseph Stukenborg Jr., father George Soloman Guthrie, step-mother Ann Guthrie, and grandparents, William Hughy Hopper & Bettie Oligar Mae Blount Hopper.
