Edward I. Wayne

Edward I. Wayne, first mayor of West Reading, died Aug. 6 at 3:07 p.m. in the emergency care unit at Reading Hospital.

Wayne, 81, of South Sixth Avenue, West Reading, was the husband of Bernice S. (Sterling) Wayne.

He served as burgess in West Reading from 1957 to 1959 and was elected the first borough mayor in 1959. He served until 1961.

Wayne was a borough councilman from 1970 to 1971 and served as mayor again from 1971 to 1989.

Born in West Reading, he was a son of the late Irvin and Helen (Wicklein) Wayne.

Wayne was the owner-operator of Wayne's Barber Shop in West Reading for 31 years, retiring in 1982. Following his retirement, he was employed as a barber by Tony's Barber Shop, Wyomissing, from 1982 to 1996.

He was a 1938 graduate of West Reading High School and a 1946 graduate of the Philadelphia Barber School.

Wayne was an Army veteran of World War II.

He was a member of First Church of the Brethren, Wyomissing Hills.

Wayne was named citizen of the year in West Reading in 1989.

He was a past president of the West Reading Lions Club, the West Reading Board of Trade and the Berks County Boroughs Association.

Wayne was one of the founders and a past president of the Berks County Mayors Association.

He was a past member of the executive board and board of directors of the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs. Wayne received the state association's Thomas F. Chrostwaite Award in 1986.

Wayne was a member of the Joint Municipal Authority of Wyomissing Valley, and a past chairman of the Berks County Police Coordinator Committee.

He was an active leader in Boy Scouts in West Reading.

Wayne is also survived by two sons, Dennis E., West Chester, and Douglas S., Pahoa, Hawaii.

Other survivors include 10 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Services will be Monday at 11 a.m. in First Church of the Brethren. Burial will be in Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, Lebanon County. Edward J. Kuhn Funeral Home Inc., West Reading, is in charge of arrangements.