Golfing Buddy - Dave's Midwestern Ohio Memories

Series of Guest Blogs by an out-of-state Fish Report reader originally from this area about fond memories of growing up in Midwestern Ohio during the 50’s & 60’s

Golfing Buddy

A long time friend Wayne G unfortunately passed away in 2021 from a reoccurrence of prostate cancer after a 20 year remission. We played golf together at least weekly both in Michigan and Florida, plus we also played tennis, paddle ball and pickle ball. He was a military veteran having served as a pilot in the 1960’s retiring as a major. After his funeral, his ashes were interred at the Great Lakes National Cemetery. At the internment, his widow gave me a small box with some of his ashes requesting they be spread wherever Wayne would appreciate.

So this blog is about the saga of spreading Wayne’s ashes in all of his favorite places.

Because of Wayne’s love of golf, Orchard Lake Country Club (aerial photo above) was the obvious first site selected to spread his ashes. I organized a foursome of his best friends and we all concluded Wayne loved the par three holes in his later years as his handicap rose, meaning he was entitled to a stroke on those holes while the rest of us did not. So he would typically win a skin or two by making par with a stroke for a net 2. So we each spread a portion of his ashes on the four par threes, holes 3,7,13 & 16.

After golf I ran into several other friends of Wayne’s so we ventured down to the boat dock at the Club and sprinkled some of Wayne’s ashes in the lake, as he and his wife lived in a home on the lake for 40 years where they enjoyed boating, skiing and fishing.

Wayne also was a very competitive rackets player over the years, enjoying tennis, paddle and pickle ball, so several of his fellow competitors and I interred some of his ashes in a flower bed between the courts.

Next the ashes traveled to Florida, where Wayne had a condo in Naples very close to ours. We’d not only play golf, pickle ball and tennis, but also pool and bocci ball. So his ashes were sprinkled in the Gulf of Mexico in front of his condo, a fountain on the condo grounds and in a flower pot next to the pickle ball court, all pictured above.

Wayne and I always had a friendly rivalry going between Michigan State, his alma mater, and the University of Michigan, mine. Whenever the two teams played in any sport, we frequently bet and watched the games together. Wayne hated to lose, a carry over from his football playing days as a linebacker for legendary MSU Coach Duffy Daughtery.

The two of us were like Mutt and Jeff, with Wayne the build of a linebacker and me a punter! Believe it or not, MSU has a Mutt & Jeff cartoon archive in their library; I rest my case!

Wayne was still working at the time of his death at brokerage house UBS and one of his co-workers, Troy, also an MSU grad, volunteered to spread his ashes on the campus someplace appropriate. After doing so, he wrote me the following note:

Dave,

Distribution of Wayne’s ashes at Michigan State was a classic. While I had been in East Lansing once since you gave them to me, it wasn’t the right situation. So WG has been riding around with me providing some good conversation. This last Monday was perfect. Went to an afternoon basketball game then out to dinner. After that I drove on campus to Spartan Stadium. 

It was MLK Day and the campus was virtually empty. In the 40’s with a light fog so the glow of the street and sidewalk lights gave off a special soft glare. I parked next to the Stadium. Around the Stadium and Sparty Statue there is no significant grass, so the perfect place was the Red Cedar River which flows next to the Stadium.

 

I walked out on the bridge over the river. The scene totally quiet with the glistening of the bridge lights reflecting off the flow of the river below. In the distant a lone student is walking on the sidewalk. I released the ashes and they slowly descended to the river in a slight breeze with the lights giving them a sparkling, star like appearance. As they floated the Mallard Ducks started quacking a 21 Quack Salute. Very Special.

So part of Wayne will be on the State Campus leisurely floating around in front of Spartan Stadium!

Best, Troy

The ultimate irony in our rivalry occurred a few years ago when Wayne and I were golfing in a Senior event at the Michigan golf course, literally in the shadow of the Big House as is evident from the photo above. On the 8th hole, a par three of course, Wayne had a hole in one, so needless to say, his ashes had to be spread on that green, an honor my son and I relished before a recent basketball game we attended on campus.

The last place yet to spread Wayne’s ashes is from an airplane in honor of Wayne’s military service as a pilot. Another golfing friend pictured below has a private plane and this spring, promised to release the remainder of Wayne's ashes into the wild blue yonder. Also shown is a photo of Wayne and me holding his helmet from his pilot days.

All of his golfing friends pictured below held a memorial for Wayne while toasting his friendship and memories. Wayne’s pictured on the big screen in the background.

Rest in peace, my friend!

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