Wayne Lee Dillard, 80, of Salem, VA, passed away on Tuesday, April 12, 2022. He was born on Friday, January 16, 1942, to the late Luther Thomas Dillard and Dana Mae Creasy “Ma” Dillard in Norfolk, VA. Wayne was a Wreck Master and also worked in the car shop for the Norfolk and Southern Railway. He retired after 35 years of faithful service and was known for always being on call and always going to work when called. His family was his most prized possession, especially his granddaughters, he never missed an opportunity in any conversation to ask, “how’s my girls doing?” Family gatherings were always special to him; getting together during Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, and family reunions were some of his most fond memories. Wayne couldn’t stay cooped up, he had a case of “cabin fever”, he loved to go and do! Of the exhaustive list of hobbies, golf was his passion, and was known to be quite competitive and a master of the game. Playing his guitar and singing was a favorite pass time for him, he enjoyed car rides on River Road and around Green Hill Park, he could always be found sitting at the entrance at Salem Terrace to greet people and have conversations with passerby’s. In his younger years, he coached football in the sandlot and was a referee for County High School Football. He had a love for Salem and the people in it, he said numerous times that he, “wouldn’t want to live anywhere else!”

Left to cherish his memory include his sons, Glenn Wayne Dillard, and wife, Terri, and Raymond Todd Dillard; grandchildren, Brandi Dillard Young and husband, Ryan, Amanda Dillard Bell and husband, Taylor, and Alicia Rae Dillard; great-grandchildren, Noah Bell, Cade Bell, and Aubrey Bell; brother, Kenneth Dillard, and wife, Vicki; numerous cousins and extended family also survive.

A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, April 15, 2022, at the John M. Oakey & Son Funeral Home in Salem, Va., with Chaplain Seth McCormick officiating. Burial will follow at Sherwood Memorial Park in Salem.
Friends may visit with the family from 6 - 8 p.m. Thursday, April 14, 2022, at the funeral home.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.johnmoakey.com.