Horace Wayne Newman, 94, passed away at 4:25 a.m. on Sunday, September 23, 2012 at Heartland Healthcare Center, Champaign. Services will be held on Tuesday, September 25, 2012. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to noon, and the funeral service will follow at 12 noon at Renner-Wikoff Chapel, 1900 S. Philo Road, Urbana. Burial will be at Woodlawn Cemetery, Urbana. Military rites will be accorded by the Urbana American Legion Post #71.

Mr. Newman was born August 18, 1918 in Urbana, one of eight children born to Ashton Seward and Lutie Cunningham Newman. He married Beulah Phillips on July 3, 1947, in Champaign. She survives in Mahomet. Also surviving are a son, Larry (Cally) Newman of Tigard, OR; a daughter, Sandra (James, deceased) Yarnell of Mahomet; two grandchildren, Brian (Heather) Yarnell of Clackamas, OR, and Kristen (Brian) Blanton of Danville; three great-grandchildren, Tyler, Emily and Nicholas Yarnell of Clackamas, OR; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, four brothers (C. Alpheus "Al", Ashton, Harry, and Donald Newman), and three sisters (Mabel Cole, Grace Vandeventer and Mary Creviston).

Mr. Newman was a very proud World War II veteran; he served in the U. S. Army from 1941-45, in the 95th Battalion and then the 98th Battalion in the South Pacific, working on large weapons. He recounted that when the war ended September 2, 1945, the announcement came over the speaker that everyone should report to the flight line immediately - they were on the way home. As the plane flew over the bridge at Oakland, CA, the pilot circled around and flew over the bridge a couple of times, since most of the men hadn't seen the mainland for a while. He said it was so good to see it with the lights on. He arrived back at Fort Sheridan on September 10, 1945 and was honorably discharged.

After the war, Wayne was a truck driver for Meadow Gold, a mechanic for Fabert Motors, Illini Reefer, and University Ford, and operated Newman's Shell gas station in Urbana with his brother, Ashton. He later worked at the University of Illinois South Garage and then as a truck driver, retiring in 1980. Mr. Newman was an Urbana resident for his first 90 years and a loyal Urbana Tigers football supporter for many years, attending games and practices whenever he could.

He was devoted to his wife of 65 years, his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He grew up as a member of Webber Street Church of Christ, Urbana, and later transferred to First Christian Church of Champaign. He was a member of the Teamsters Union and the American Legion.

Memorials may be made to the VA Illiana Health Care System in Danville, IL, or to an organization of the donors' choice. Condolences may be offered online at www.renner-wikoffchapel.com.