Obituary of Wayne R. Harris

On June 9th, 2017, Wayne Russell Harris; fashion designer, artist, food and wine connoisseur and lover of all things beautiful, passed away at the age of 71 of cancer, comforted at the Hallowell home of his life-long friend, Jack Fuller. Born in Dixmont, Maine on January 12, 1946, Wayne was lovingly raised by Zelma (Curtis) Harris and Cecile Harris of Augusta, Maine. Wayne was a graduate of Cony High School and went on to receive a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (BFA) in Apparel Design from the Rhode Island School of Design. He spent time in New York and later Miami pursuing a career in fashion. Wayne often talked about those years, especially of his love of Greenwich Village, for the rest of his life. Wayne returned to Maine in 1971 and began a small business producing custom designed evening wear. Enjoying statewide success, he designed several gowns for Maine’s First Ladies and became the designer for Ramadon Boutique in Augusta and later worked at The Grand Orange. Wayne’s unique design vision received world-wide notice. He was offered top-level positions with the best in the industry, including designers such as Betsy Johnson, but decided his love of Maine was greater than his desire to pursue fashion further…so to all of our benefit, he decided to stay in Central Maine and turned his professional interests to Maine’s hospitality sector. He was employed at the River Cafe in Hallowell and then at the Olive Garden in Augusta for 20 years, earning the titles "Maestro Servizio" (Master Server) and Sommelier. He and Jack Fuller, his friend-until-the-end, were the owners of several businesses in Maine. He was also on the Board of Directors of The Kennebec Professional Acting Center and The Kennebec Youth Theatre. Wayne Harris was a true renaissance man. His interests and passions were varied, his mind and heart were immense, and his attention to detail and ability to recall a memory were remarkable. He loved Ogunguit beach, Provincetown and Converse sneakers. His eclectic collections included camel and Santa Clause statues. He was a passionate lover of all music. Mostly, he adored dining in all of Maine’s best restaurants and frequented Sunday brunch at nearby Slates nearly every week, always with a contingency of his fabulous loved ones. Wayne loved to soak in long summer afternoons on the porch of his dear friend Larry, often with a glass of chardonnay and a collection of friends around him. He and his “friends family” would spend a whole day orchestrating beautiful dinners. Blessed were those of us who shared in these beautiful intimate meals. He will be missed by many. Wayne is survived by his sister Nancy and her husband James Crocker along with several Nieces and Nephews. Wayne was a central figure of the St. Pierre family, and will be missed by Chandler and Faith (whom he called Cinderella) and Larry, whose house was his second home. Wayne knew so many people and had so many close friends, it is impossible to list them all. Our dearest Wayne will be remembered for his distinctive air, his sense of humor, and his special light. He always said: "Love, Honey…it's all about love." In fact, he would not refer to his passing as a death, but instead, as being beamed aboard his wonderfully chic star-ship to begin his voyage to the stars. Wayne Harris was simply magic. A Celebration of Wayne's life will be held Sunday, June 25, 2017 at The Lakeside Lodge Bang's Beach located on 28 Marigold Lane in Sidney, Maine from 2:30 PM - 7:00 PM. Please arrive on time and don your most gay apparel! In lieu of flowers, per his request, please think of Wayne as you contribute to his memorial fund, providing scholarships to the design students of Cony High School. Please use this link to contribute paypal.me/WayneRHarris. As Wayne would say… “Peace and Love.”