Wayne McGee Larkins' Obituary
Wayne McGee Larkins, 89, of Leesburg, Virginia, passed away on Tuesday, June 28, 2022.
Born March 7, 1933, in Kingsport, Tennessee, he was the son of the late Winifred Arthur Larkins and Lillian Bell Wagner Larkins. He was the husband of the late Christine Armstrong Larkins.
Wayne was raised a country boy who learned early the importance of hard work coupled with patience, helping his father with chores on the farm and his mother with cooking her famous apple butter.
He had many hobbies including woodworking, bird carving, refinishing furniture, and was an experienced handyman who could fix almost anything. He loved fishing and taught his children and grandchildren how to thread a worm and throw a line. He was a self-taught harmonica player, “You Are My Sunshine” one of his favorites. There wasn’t a Western he didn’t like, particularly movies featuring his namesake, John Wayne. He loved beekeeping, bluegrass music, and vegetable gardening, producing his famous, giant Beef Eater tomatoes he pridefully shared with the neighbors.
Wayne served in the military for 4 years as a radio operator in the Korean war and loved to recount his experiences while serving there. He met the love of his life, Christine Armstrong, after returning from the war and was a hopeless romantic his entire 56 years of marriage.
He spent most of his career working for the Government Printing Office, keeping the difficult graveyard shift, where he produced nationally important documents such as Congressional bills and the SALT Treaty. Despite the many hours he worked, he always found time to teach his 3 daughters the traits he valued most, honesty, hard work, faith in God, life skills, and the ability to laugh about almost anything. His perseverance despite any limitation was coupled with the expression “Just takin’ it one day at a time.”
He loved spending time with his neighbors and church friends and would talk of them often. He was a humble man with a servant’s heart and leaves behind a great legacy of kindness and love for others.
Wayne is survived by his brother Aaron Larkins (Regina) of Johns Island, South Carolina, his daughters, Sherri Clifton (David) of Lehi, Utah, Suzanne Larkins of Leesburg, Virginia, and Aimee Miller (John) of Lovettsville, Virginia, 8 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM at the Leesburg United Methodist Church located at 107 W. Market St., Leesburg, Virginia 20175, with lunch following. Interment at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA, will be held on a later date. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.loudounfuneralchapel.com. In addition to flowers, contributions may be made to Wayne’s favorite charities, The ALS Association and Paralyzed Veterans of America.
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