- Date Of Birth: July 25, 1947
- Date Of Death: March 3, 2023
- State: Maine
John ‘Wayne’ Lolley
1947 – 2023
Gray – On the morning of March 3, 2023, John ‘Wayne’ Lolley, 75 of Gray, quietly slipped away
in the loving comfort of his wife Kathleen and daughter Melanie at the Gosnell House in
Scarborough. With unsurpassed courage and determination, Wayne received years of
intermittent radiation, chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatments for Adenocarcinoma
before succumbing to end stage COPD.
Wayne was born July 25, 1947 to John W. Libby and Mary Nichols Libby of Scarborough and
adopted by his step-father Richard Lolley at the age of 12.
After graduating from Gray New Gloucester High School in 1967, he attended the University of
Maine until receiving his request for military service. On January 28, 1969 Wayne joined the
Navy going on to Propulsion Engineering School and Boilerman Class “A” School at Great
Lakes Naval Training Center in Illinois. Upon graduation, he was assigned to the USS Midway
at San Francisco Bay Shipyard where he was a member of the crew in “the most
comprehensive modernization ever undertaken by the Navy, becoming the largest and most
modern carrier in her class.” After a month of at-sea training aboard the USS Coral Sea, and
Midway sea trials successfully completed, they deployed to combat operations in Southeast
Asia off Vietnam. Wayne was proud of his Plank Owner Certificate and loved the Midway
which was reflected repeatedly in his performance evaluations: “outstanding performance of
duty”, “knowledge of the systems unmatched by anyone on the ship”, “commitment to
excellence” as well as Achievement Medals and Citations.
Wayne was “highly recommended for advancement” upon reenlistment but regrettably chose
concurrent transfer to Naval Reserve and Honorable Discharge to return home where he owned
and operated Lolley’s Inc. Custom Truck and Trailer Repair until retirement.
As Wayne’s health declined he loved to laugh and reminisce about his and best buddy Gil’s
youthful annual fishing adventures to Pierce Pond and the fun times spent at camp on Flagstaff
Lake with their families.
Wayne’s favorite place in the whole world was his 1889 home in Gray with his wife Kate. Over
the 26 wonderful years they had together, they tackled many a restoration project and
thoroughly enjoyed maintaining their home, grounds and gardens. Although not a social
butterfly, Wayne loved when friends and neighbors would drop in and pull up a rocking chair to
After years of tenacious resistance, Wayne leaves the love of his life, wife Kathleen Terison
Lolley, daughters Corrine and Carol Lolley, and Melanie Voisine, granddaughters Peregrine,
Lauren and Brooklyn, brothers James and Richard Lolley, nephew James Lolley ll, and uncle,
Linwood Bailey.
happiest, at the home he has loved and lived in for 63 years.
