Wayne Altman Obituary

Man of Grace

Ephesians 2: 4-10: "But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-by grace you have been saved and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace, you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God- not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life."

Wayne Altman, beloved father, grandfather, great grandfather, pastor, minister, and friend, passed away after a life marked by devotion, perseverance, and unwavering commitment to God and His Son Jesus Christ.

Born in the rural community of Muddy Creek, South Carolina, in 1931, Wayne's early years were shaped by the challenges of the Great Depression and the hardships of being poor. He learned the values of hard work, resourcefulness, and getting by on little while on his family's farm. But most importantly, he grew up "richly blessed" because he was around people who believed in God, Jesus, and the Bible from his early childhood. He carried those lessons throughout his life as a Church of Christ minister and pastor.

Wayne's childhood was typical of remote South Carolina in those early years and he had many "growing up tales": two-seater outhouse, picking tobacco, falling out of a barn window, enriched by the faith of his family. He spent his days helping with farm chores but also found time to play with homemade baseballs and savoring the fruits of the family garden. He attended Muddy Creek School before moving to North Charleston, South Carolina, in 1942 due to his father's work at the Navy Yard. Wayne started his first job in the city delivering groceries from a store that was in downtown Charleston, and he had to ride a bus 10 miles at age 11 to get to work. He started driving at 14 and delivered papers and had many other odd jobs to earn money. He developed a strong work ethic that would serve him well throughout his ministry.

After struggling with school and family, Wayne sought to leave home in a new direction, forging papers to say he was a year older than he was so that he could enlist in the Naval Reserve at 15. Wayne enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1948 and was stationed in Fulda, Germany, where he experienced both personal hardship and the harsh realities of military life. Wayne's experiences abroad profoundly shaped his understanding of grace, forgiveness, and the power of faith. Despite facing adversity, including serving some prison time, Wayne reenlisted in the Army and was determined with God's help to make his parents proud of him and to start serving God. Wayne emerged from this tough time with an honorable discharge with distinguishment from the Army, a renewed sense of purpose and resilience, dedicating himself to helping others understand that true GRACE comes only from God and his Son Jesus.

Returning home, Wayne pursued higher education at The Citadel in Charleston, SC, graduating first in his major of English and fourth in his class. College broadened his horizons, deepening his appreciation for literature, poetry, and inspiring his future ministry vocation. Wayne's mother played a pivotal role in his spiritual journey, nurturing his faith and encouraging him to become a preaching minister-a calling he embraced wholeheartedly, touching countless lives with his wisdom and compassion, especially about grace. Wayne went to Harding University to study for the ministry and met Irma Dee Haney, another older student. They fell in love and were married in September of 1961. Wayne preached in Stokes, Arkansas and then Albemarle, North Carolina before moving to Summerville, South Carolina in 1968. He joined a team that started the Summerville Church of Christ in 1968.

The Summerville Church of Christ met for the first time on March 3rd, 1968, with fifty-eight people in attendance. Wayne Altman served as the new congregation's first minister, serving faithfully until his retirement in 1995. The Summerville church was blessed by God and grew to over 350 at the time of his retirement. He also helped start another church in retirement, the Mt. Pleasant Church of Christ, speaking multiple times. Wayne remained a member at Summerville after his retirement, even though he moved away a couple of times, living with his oldest son and daughter-in-law for five years, before moving to The Village in 2021.

Wayne was known for his passionate teaching and preaching on grace. He made no apologies for the Gospel of grace and became one known to be living out his life as one saved by grace. He understood the need for God's grace because of his Army days, and God was able to use that difficult experience to touch many lives. He and his beloved wife, Irma, practiced what they preached, serving with integrity, kindness, and love, but most importantly they left behind a grace-filled legacy. Wayne's legacy endures through his family, his ministry, and the many lives he touched as a minister, pastor, counselor, mentor, and friend.

Wayne had thirty-five wonderful years with Irma, but their life together was cut short when she passed at the age of 63. She was the love of his life and Wayne continued to talk about her often over the years. Time does not fully heal, but with God's help he lived with the difficult events of this life, knowing that one day he would also be with Jesus and God.

Wayne would make trips all over the country: to Atlanta and the NC mountains to see Mark, to NC to see his grandsons and Ron and Missy, to see his brother in Florida and Texas, to see friends, and to see old church members. Wayne loved his grandsons and great grandchildren and when he visited, he watched and cheered at many basketball and soccer games, birthdays, marriages, celebrations and enjoyed many big meals. He also went on multiple vacations with family, which made for some interesting stories for Mark, Ron, Missy, and the grandsons. In his mid-sixties he started running foot races with the grandsons on the beach and he continued this every year until his early 70's. He shared many, many stories of his childhood that made everyone laugh! Wayne also dearly loved his great grandchildren: bragging on each of them, admiring their good looks, their smiles, their accomplishments, reading books to them and looking at pictures with them. He relished the visits but would often say he was glad he did not have to keep up with them all the time.

Wayne is survived by his two sons, Ron Altman (Missy) of Cary, NC and Mark Altman of Hayesville, NC; three grandsons, Trace Altman (Renae) of Knightdale, NC, Drew Altman (Conner) of Holly Springs, NC and Jackson Altman (Ava) of Apex, NC; and five great-grandchildren: Emmalyn, Solomon, Adelaide, Sofia, and Ezra.

Wayne was preceded in death by his beloved wife Irma Dee Haney Altman, brother Donald Altman, sister Jean Hardison, mother Eula Mae Altman and father Rollie Altman.

Wayne's life was a blessing to many, and his memory and teachings will continue to inspire those who strive to live by grace, with faith, courage, and compassion driven by love for Jesus and God.

A celebration of Wayne's life will be held at Summerville Church of Christ on Sunday March 15th at 1pm. Family will be available before the service at 12:30pm to greet and receive any friends of Wayne.

In lieu of flowers, please support either the Alzheimer's Association (ALZ.org) or Cure Alzheimer's Fund (curealz.org) in helping us work toward eradicating this terrible disease.