Wayne Lawrence Inks

Published 10:44 am Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Wayne Lawrence Inks, devoted and loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, son, friend, and colleague, passed away on April 30, 2025.  Wayne was born to Mark and Myra Inks on September 30, 1935, in Wisconsin Rapids, WI, along with his twin brother Duane.  Wayne grew up in Beloit, WI, with his brother and older sister Donna Gaille, beginning school in a one-room schoolhouse taught by their mother, leading to his graduation from Beloit High School in 1953. He went on to get a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and economics from Beloit College and a Master’s degree in Industrial and Labor Relations from the University of Illinois.  

After graduation he was inducted into the Army and selected to assist with research under the Army’s Human Research Unit at Fort Knox, KY, where he met his wife Ann, whom he married in 1959.  He then joined Eli Lilly and Company in Indianapolis, IN, in 1962, and during his 32-year career there, he held a wide range of management positions for Lilly’s research, corporate administration, human resources, and International Operations until he retired in 1994.  He was very much admired and respected by his colleagues and peers, and well accomplished throughout his entire distinguished career, which he enjoyed very much.   

He moved to Tryon, NC, in 1996, where he truly loved living and he also maintained a second home in Indianapolis.  In Tryon, he was actively involved in a number of local boards and organizations over the years, including Polk Vocational Services and Foothills Humane Society, as well as contributing to the community in other ways, such as his construction of the entrance gazebo for Tryon’s Depot Garden Park.    

He will be remembered for his great generosity, humor, quick wit, his thoughtful counsel to anyone who asked, and he and Ann’s great love and care for the many, many rescue dogs they adopted throughout the years.  

He found strength, comfort, and joy in his family and friends and especially in his wife Ann who he deeply loved and affectionately described as “bright, sensitive, and a loving person who makes the world a better place for all who know her.”   He is survived by his wife Ann and children Larry, Jeff (Matt Modica), Scott (Kim), grandchildren, Kevin, Ethan, and Natalie, and he was preceded in death by his twin brother Duane, sister Donna Gaille Avakian, and his parents.

The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to the Tryon, Landrum and Polk County community and to the many friends of Ann and Wayne for making their life in Tryon a treasure to them.   

A memorial service will be held at a later date in Indianapolis, Indiana, where Wayne will be laid to rest.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,  https://www.stjude.org/give/memorials-and-dedications.html?sc_icid=wtg-lz-memorials, or Foothills Humane Society, PO Box 985, Columbus, NC 28722.

An online guest register is available at www.mcfarlandfuneralchpel.com

McFarland Funeral Chapel