Richard Wayne Yancey

Richard Wayne Yancey (80) of Alexandria, Virginia passed away on Tuesday January 30th, after a courageous battle with End Stage Renal Disease and Heart Disease. Wayne was born on August 9th 1943, in Alexandria, Virginia to parents Muriel Ann Dennis and James Amos Yancey. Wayne’s sister Janice Yancey (Roberts) currently resides in Hayfield Farms with her husband, Rick Roberts. Wayne also had three other siblings who are no longer with us: Karen Ann Yancey (Sorrell), Willliam (Billy) Yancey and James Dennis Yancey. Wayne’s first wife, Vivian Jones (Yancey) passed away from cancer at a young age. Their daughter, Ann Renee Yancey (Dodson), still resides in Alexandria. Renee blessed Wayne and Vivian with two grandchildren, Brian Langley and Lindsey Langley. Wayne found love a second time and was happily married to Diana Regan for 23 years. Renee married Roger Dodson in May 2014 and welcomed three more grandchildren to the family: Jon, Hannah and Luke. Wayne and Diana enjoyed their extended family and the many times they celebrated family outings at local restaurants. Wayne was dedicated to the Armed Forces and enlisted while a young man in the Navy: His early military time was spent at Naval Communications Station Balboa, Panama Canal Zone. Three years later, he re-enlisted and was assigned to the USS Lowry, a Destroyer out of Norfolk, VA. Before he reported to the Lowry, he attended Radioman “B” School in Bainbridge, MD. After being aboard the Lowry for six months it was deployed to Vietnam to provide fire support to the ground troops. You will not find anyone who worked harder than Wayne Yancey. Money was always extremely tight when he was growing up, and Wayne went to work at the age of 13 delivering the Washington Post to help support his family. He also set pins at a local bowling alley at night and on weekends. This strong work ethic stayed with Wayne throughout his life. After he left school, he became a dump truck driver. This rough start to life convinced Wayne that there had to be a better way to make a living. Wayne worked full-time for Coca Cola and then accepted a position as a Mail Clerk with the Post Office. He moved on to an entry level position in a government warehouse at Cameron Station, where he progressed to managing warehouses in support of the Pentagon and other government entities in the area. Wayne was attending a meeting at the Pentagon on 9/11 when it was attacked by the terrorists who flew American Airlines Flight 77 into the building. He was right around the corner from where the plane hit, but thankfully he escaped unharmed. The next two years were the busiest and most demanding of his career. Wayne served our country faithfully and retired from the Department of Defense with 42 years of government service. Wayne was restless in retirement, so he went right back to work, serving as a much-needed school bus driver for Fairfax County for almost two years, after which he was recruited for a Contractor to the Department of Defense. He loved that job and the people he worked with, and he stayed in that position for another ten years. Wayne retired a second time at 74.5 years of age, until he had begun to experience serious health issues. Wayne was a Life Member in the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Post 7327 Springfield, VA since 1995. Additionally, he was also a member in the Springfield American Legion, Post 176. Wayne held many positions in the VFW. He served as VFW Post Commander for 6 years. He served in each ‘chair’ at the district level, including holding the position of District 10 Commander. He achieved many VFW Department and National Awards. He had the honor of being a past All American Post Commander and a past All American District 10 Commander. Wayne was born into a life of service, and he lived his life with purpose. He cared greatly for others, and he made a difference in so many lives. His many friends and co-workers describe him as the consummate professional and as a true gentleman who endeared himself to people from all walks of life. He treated everyone with kindness and respect, and he tried to help everyone around him. Relatives and friends will be received at Jefferson Funeral Chapel from 10:00 am until time of service, 11:00 am, on Monday, February 5. Interment will follow funeral services at Mt. Comfort Cemetery, Alexandria, VA. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to VFW Post 7327 (5417-E Backlick Rd., Springfield, VA 22151) or the American Legion (6520 Amherst Ave., Springfield, VA 22150). The angels with harps gained a sweet-hearted accordionist this week! ❤️- Karen Sindicic

Tributes

Richard Wayne Yancey

August 9, 1943 - January 30, 2024