Francis Milner

Funeral services are scheduled for Monday at 11:30 a.m. at First Baptist Church for Wayne Milner who passed away at Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque on January 19, 2012. Pastor Matt Brooks of First Baptist Church will officiate.

Wayne was born in Carlsbad, New Mexico on June 17, 1936, to Willis H. and Millicent Milner and they relocated to Roswell when he was still quite young. He graduated from Roswell High in May, 1954, and entered Texas AM University the following fall. At that time, AM was an allmilitary school and he was a proud member of the Corps of Cadets. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics in 1958 and received his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army. After serving in active duty, he was a member of the National Guard for several years.

Wayne met his future wife, Zoe Ann, during his college years and they were married in Roswells First Baptist Church on August 30, 1958. Following his active duty with the Army, they moved to Dallas, Texas, where he began his career as a financial advisor and account executive with E. F. Hutton and Co. In 1962, Wayne and Zoe Ann moved back to New Mexico with two young daughters, and he furthered his career by becoming manager of the Roswell Hutton office, later manager of the Shearson Lehman Hutton office, and he retired in 2000 from Morgan Stanley Dean Witter.

Wayne won numerous awards throughout his career, including E. F. Huttons prestigious Presidents Club award for three consecutive years. He served as an Advisory Director at Roswells Sunwest Bank, was on the Board of Directors for the United Way, and on the board of the Historical Society of Southeast New Mexico. He served as president of the Chaves County Young Republicans, state president of New Mexico Young Republicans, and was chosen as New Mexico Young Republican Association Man of the Year in 197071. He was an active member of Roswell Rotary Club for many years, serving as Rotary Youth Leadership Awards chairman, and was honored in 2004 as a Paul Harris Fellow.

Wayne is survived by his wife of 53 years, Zoe Ann, his daughter Melissa Proctor and her husband, Mark of Roswell his daughter Pam Schultz and her husband Jim of Roswell son St even Milner of Albuquerque and sister Marlayne Ribbach and her husband Jack of Roswell. He is also survived by his nephew, Mark Ribbach of Hawaii, and his grandchildren, Michela Proctor, Madison Proctor, Rebecca Schultz, and Kristen Schultz. He was preceded in death by his parents, Willis and Millicent Milner, and his oldest son, Chris.

Wayne accepted Christ as his personal Saviour during his sophomore year at Texas AM, was baptized, and faithfully joined and attended the Baptist churches in communities where he and Zoe Ann lived. He was the personification of honesty and integrity in his career and a dedicated family man. He loved to hunt, fish, play golf, spend time in his home away from home in Red River in the beautiful mountains of northern New Mexico.and travel. He and Zoe Ann toured their favorite European countries on several trips abroad. They loved cruising the Greek Islands, the Scandinavian countries, and even visited Russia before the fall of the Iron Curtain.

Honorary pallbearers will be Howard Perry, Jon Coll, Brett Leach, Hon. Bobby R. Baldock, Hon. Paul Kelly Jr., Charles Plett, Stan Bush, Don Hollister, and Charles Wilson. Memorial contributions can be made to the Genesis Building Project at Roswells First Baptist Church, 500 North Pennsylvania, or to the Assurance Home, 1000 East 18th Street, 88201.

Visitation

LaGrone Funeral Chapel
900 South Main
Roswell, NM  88203
Saturday, January 21, 2012
noon 7:00 P.M.

Service

Funeral Service

First Baptist Church
500 North Pennsylvania
Roswell, NM  88201
Monday, January 23, 2012
11:30 a.m.

Cemetery

South Park Cemetery
3101 S. Main
Roswell, NM  88203