SOUTH PARIS – Wayne Skillings Tilley, 87, passed away on Thursday Nov. 18, 2021, at the Maine Veterans Home in South Paris with his loving family by his side. He was born March 12, 1934, in Harrison. He was the son of the late Earl and Leona (Skillings) Tilley. He had two brothers, David and Barry.
Wayne joined the Boy Scouts at a young age and attended Norway High School where he was captain of the football team and president of the student council. He graduated in 1952 and in 1953, he enlisted in the United States Navy, during the Korean War, a very proud veteran and Navy Seabee helping to build factories and homes in the Philippines. He helped build the longest air strip near Subic Bay. Wayne was honorably discharged in July 1957 and returned to Maine to begin his civilian life.
Wayne started working for Goodwin’s Dairy delivering milk, door-to-door. He met the love of his life, Beverly Corbett, at the Goodwin’s Dairy Joy. They dated for a year and tied the knot on August 1, 1958. He was 24 and Beverly was 22. They were married for 57 wonderful years.
Wayne worked the majority of his adult life at Dielectric located in Casco. He was a 30-plus year employee retiring in the early ’90s. He took up another job after retirement at the Poland Elementary School as a custodian. He was loved by all of the faculty and students there.
He and Beverly lived most of their lives on Paris Hill with their children, sons William, Todd, Jay, Richard and daughters Tammy and Connie. He loved his cars. He had a Studebaker truck that he took rides to the dump with the boys. He owned a British Leyland Rover that he loved! He and Beverly lived in Mechanic Falls at the Christian Advent Campground in their later years and were very active in the Christian Advent Church.
Wayne is predeceased by his wife, Beverly (79); his parents Earl (89) and Leona Tilley (85); and his brother David Tilley (88).
He is survived by his brother, Barry Tilley and wife Rebecca; along with his loving children; grandchildren; and great-grandchildren; two daughters, Tammy Laidlaw and her husband Charlie Whitman, and Constance Pyles, four sons, William Tilley and his wife Nelda, Todd Tilley, Jay Tilley and his wife Lynn, and Richard Libby; 15 grandchildren, Reggie Tilley and his wife Rhonda, Willow Graiver and her husband William, Lucas Laidlaw and his wife Angie, Autumn Laidlaw and her partner David Stone, Eli Laidlaw and his wife Deanna, Heather Pyles-Tomlinson and her husband Dustin, Seth Pyles and his wife Andrea, Samantha Tilley, Mackenzie Tilley, Taylor Duranceau and her husband Audie Murphy Jr., Brad Duranceau, Grace Love, Lauren Tilley, Kristen Merritt and her husband Christopher, Nicholas Libby and his wife Megan; 18 great-grandchildren, Dustin Tilley, Matthew Tilley, Ashley Lavigne, Nick Tilley, Jackman Graiver, Willy Graiver, David Graiver, Cecilia Laidlaw, Westin Laidlaw, Emily Stone, Kaleb Traylor, Abigail Merritt, Kya Libby, Alivia Libby, Aiden Libby, Brigette Church, Jesiah Nolasco, Denzel Nolasco, and Lucas Love.
The family will greet friends on Wednesday Dec. 1 from 1 to 3 p.m., with a service with military honors at The Oxford Hills Funeral and Cremation Service 1037 Main St., Oxford. Burial will take place at the convenience of the family. For those who cannot attend, the service will be live-streamed on Wayne’s obituary on our website. To make an online condolence please visit http://www.Oxfordhillsfunealservices.com.
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