DANIEL, Harris Wayne

The Daily Courier, Prescott, Arizona Friday, July 29, 2011 Harris Wayne Daniel of Brentwood, Calif., passed away in the presence of his family at home on July 26, 2011, at 76 years of age. Wayne Daniel was the third of five children born to Ruffin Aubrey Daniel and Ellen Chapman Daniel in the midst of the Great Depression. At the time of Wayne's birth on Dec. 27, 1934, the family was living in Dothan, Ala. As was the case with so many families in that time, the Daniels moved wherever work was available, and by the time Wayne was in elementary school, they had settled in Columbus, Ga., where he lived through his high school years. Wayne had a passion for aviation, and spent his two-year Air Force enlistment as a radio operator aboard C-119 cargo planes in the pre-Vietnam era. Though his post-Air Force career was not in the aviation field, his love of airplanes never abated. He enjoyed attending air shows and aircraft museums with his brothers, his son and any other aviation buff he could find to accompany him. Even in failing health, he and his son were able to make one last pilgrimage to the Reno Air Races in September of 2010. After his Air Force stint, Wayne found himself drawn to a career in sales, working as a commissioned salesman and running his own business as an independent rep for manufacturers in the gift and home accessories industry. He later transitioned to a career in sales of financial products as a certified financial planner. Wayne met the love his life, Bonnie Jean Flye, while he was stationed at the Air Force base in Ardmore, Okla., in 1956. They were married on Sept. 19, 1959, in Columbus, Ga. Many in the Daniel clan were relocating to the metro Atlanta area around that time, and Wayne and Bonnie quickly followed suit. They had two children, Dennis Wayne Daniel and Laurie Anne Daniel-Smith, who survive him along with Bonnie. Wayne moved his family to the Bay Area in late 1972 to pursue the chance to have his own manufacturer's rep business on the West Coast. Wayne and Bonnie called Walnut Creek "home" for 28 years before retiring and relocating to Prescott, Ariz., in 2003. They lived there until 2010, when they decided to return to the Bay Area, settling in Brentwood. Wayne was preceded in death by his older sister and both his brothers. He is survived by his younger sister, Bonnie Sue Whitecotton. His sister-in-law Yvonne Cobb (Bonnie Jean's younger sister) was also present as a beloved and invaluable part of his family care-giving team in his last days. Services in Wayne's memory will be at San Ramon Valley United Methodist Church, 902 Danville Blvd., Alamo, Calif., at 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 30, 2011. Prior to his death, Wayne requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to The Independent Institute, 100 Swan Way, Oakland, CA 94621-1366; www.independent.org. Information provided by survivors.