R Wayne McDaniel

R. Wayne McDaniel passed away peacefully on May 3rd at the age of 78, surrounded by and getting hugs from his beloved wife of 27 years, Melissa, his son, Chris and wife Jill, and his bonus children, Lisa and George. In addition, Papa Wayne is survived by his 4 grandchildren, Alexandra, Caleb, Christian and Wesley. Big Wayne was born on April 11 of 1944 to John B. and Sara McDaniel in Atlanta, GA near the East Lake area. He helped Murphy High School win a state championship in baseball in 1960 as the starting catcher. But it was in football, as a QB, that Wayne truly excelled, earning a scholarship in 1962 to the University of Florida after being recruited by Coach Ray Graves. He was the first in his family to attend and graduate college. After coaching football and baseball at Riverdale High School in Ft. Myers, Wayne moved back to Gainesville in 1978 and became a lifelong resident after being hired as the Assistant Alumni Director. He went on to serve as the UF Director of Alumni Affairs for 27 years, leading the way for significant growth of the alumni base across Florida and the country before his retirement in 2004. His tenure started with head coach Doug Dickey and extended to Urban Meyer. For his athletic and professional accomplishments at the University, he was honored as a Distinguished Letterwinner in the F Club Hall of Fame in 2006. After retirement, Wayne and Melissa split their time between Gainesville and their mountain cabin in Wolf Laurel, NC. For many summers beginning in the 1970’s, Mac was an active participant in the Silver 60’s, an annual gathering in Crystal River of UF football players from the 1960’s. Wayne remained passionate about golf once his football days were over and he shared his love and knowledge of the game by teaching it to his children and grandsons. Wayne was deeply loved by his family plus an extensive list of long-time friends (and dogs), and he loved deeply in return. He had a tremendous impact across the Gator Nation and will be widely missed as he leaves so many people with wonderful memories and stories. While death came for him this week, ashamed of its lowly task, death did not cheat Wayne of a full life, filled with laughter, hugs and a genuine appreciation of the value of relationships. Gloriously and peacefully, Wayne ascended to Heaven and now enjoys a flawless golf swing - and shall never 3-putt again. In lieu of flowers, those who wish may make donations or memorials to the Alzheimer's Association. A celebration of life will be held from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM on Saturday, May 28 at the Emerson Alumni Center in Gainesville. If you’d like to attend, send an email to RSVP@ufalumni.ufl.edu.

R Wayne McDaniel

April 11, 1944 - May 3, 2022