Wayne B Fortney, 79, passed away January 15th, 2026. He was born December 18, 1946 in St John’s, Michigan to the late Howard and Margaret Fortney.
Wayne grew up in Ithaca, Michigan, and was a 1965 graduate of IHS. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University in social work. Wayne was a member of the Army for two years where he served his country in Vietnam as a medical technician. He retired from Gratiot County Parks & Recreation after 23 years and then became the manager of Gratiot Country Club for 10 years. He coached Ithaca junior high girls basketball for 20 years, AAU girls and boys basketball for over a decade, boys little league baseball, and spent many years as the vice president of the Ithaca Bowling Association. He also participated in many years of men’s basketball leagues and slow pitch softball through Parks & Rec.
He was a Jeopardy master, crossword wizard, and an avid reader of all things historical fiction and sci-fi. Wayne’s favorite times were with his family and friends out to Reed’s around a ball field, up at the cottage at Houghton Lake on Howie’s pontoon with the family, with his Koffee Klatch boys Coach, Dar, Wetzel, Parling, and drop in visits by Jimmy G talking all things sports and Ithaca, on casino adventures with Jack, evening chats with neighbor Brian, or his annual birthday trips with Cubby, Clow, and Bear, and more recently giving his favorite caregiver Mindy and his brother Jim a hard time as only he could. Wayne will be remembered for riding around town on his John Deere mowing lawns, his booming coaching voice, sports knowledge, classic story telling, sarcastic quick witted remarks, and ever so memorable phrases.
Left to cherish his memory are his children, Erin Stokes, and her husband Peter; and Bryan Fortney and his wife Lian; and his grandchildren, Brayden Fortney, Elise Fortney, Reid Wayne Stokes, Kiley Stokes, and Kenzie Stokes, his former wife and friend Lynn Fortney Look, and his siblings, Van Wideman; Patricia Nowak and her husband Allen; Thomas Wideman and his wife Nancy; Rebecca Ebright and her husband Ronald; William Wideman and his wife Lisa; James Wideman and his wife Vicki; his nieces and nephews Jared and his wife Kaci; Katie and her husband Ben; Lindsay and her husband Cody; Alyssa and her husband Bob; Spencer and his wife Kirsten; Derek and his wife Ashtin; Patricia and her husband Roberto; Randy; Tyler and his wife Mara; Brandon and his wife Haley; Austin; Samantha and her husband Jared; Meghan and her husband Sean; Darin and his wife Kaitlin; and 27 great nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents, Wayne was preceded in death by his twin brother, Wendell A. Fortney, and step-mother and friend, Marilyn Fortney.
There will be a Celebration of Wayne’s Life to be held on Tuesday, June 30th, 2026 from 4 to 7 pm at Reed Park. Memorial contributions may be made in Wayne’s honor to the Ithaca Girls Basketball Program. Memories and condolences may be left for the family at Berry Funeral Home of Shepherd.
