Wayne Gemas

April 22, 1937 — November 11, 2023

Peacefully went to be with the Lord on November 11, 2023 at the age of 86. Wayne was born in Grindstone, PA on April 22, 1937 to Mercury Oliver and Hazel Pauline Gemas. Raised in western Pennsylvania on the shores of the Monongahela River in a coal mining patch called Maxwell, Wayne graduated from Brownsville High School in 1955. Wayne was a standout football and baseball player for Brownsville and received scholarships for both sports from Clemson University. While attending Clemson, he unfortunately suffered an injury and could no longer participate in sports. He returned to Pennsylvania to start his business career and most importantly to marry his childhood sweetheart, Shirley Ann Roebuck (Gemas) on April 18, 1959. After marriage, they relocated to southern California, which was the first of many moves for them, including living in various cities in California, Texas, Nevada, Illinois, Wisconsin and Florida. Wayne was a successful entrepreneur having worked hard for many companies as well as starting others from the ground level. He worked as a sales associate and then sales manager for companies such as Dutch Boy Paints, DuPont, Mystik Tape (a division of Borden Foods) and Tackmer Tape before starting his own business called Gem-Mac Industries in Plymouth, WI. Gem-Mac successfully grew into a competitive and nationally recognized tape company during its ten-year run before a large northeastern company purchased it. After selling Gem-Mac in 1986, Wayne retired and he and his wife Shirley split time between their homes in La Quinta, CA and Elkhart Lake, WI. Wayne enjoyed playing golf, traveling with his family, going to dinner with his wife and many friends as well as watching his two sons play football at Clemson and his three grandsons play football & baseball for Homestead High School. He had a creative and brilliant business mind, an infectious personality that exuded confidence and was always very generous and fair to others. During his final few years of life, Wayne could usually be found sitting in his den with his Bible in hand and a Christian television show on the tube. He will be greatly missed by many! Wayne is preceded in death by his beloved wife Shirley Ann Gemas, his parents Mercury and Hazel Gemas; brother Terry Dale Gemas; his grandson Grayson Wayne Gemas; his in-laws Stanley and Anna Roebuck; brothers in-law, Charles Booker, Bill Roebuck, Mike Roebuck and Andy Johnson; and his nephew Lex Gemas. Wayne is survived by his son Kevin (Bonnie) Gemas, Naples, FL; his son Dr. Terry (Tracy) Gemas, Dallas, TX; his grandsons Kyle (Megan) Gemas, Farmers Branch, TX; Brett (Samantha) Gemas, Greenville, SC; Brian Gemas, Seneca, SC; Jacob Gemas, Dallas, TX; and his great granddaughter Kaley Gemas, Famers Branch, TX. He is further survived by his sister in-laws Patty Johnson, East Millsboro, PA; Arlene (Ray) Sigwalt, New Salem, PA and Sheri Austin, Cherino, TX along with his nephews and nieces: Jan Booker, Derek Sigwalt, Michael Roebuck & Cindy Roebuck as well as many other family members and friends. Services will take place next year following the winter season and Wayne's ashes will be buried with his wife Shirley alongside his mother, father, brother and nephew at Lafayette Memorial Park, Brier Hill, PA. The family would like to give special thanks and appreciation to the entire team at both Willowbrook Place and at Horizon Hospice Care. Additional thanks to both Schramka and Skirpan funeral homes. In lieu of flowers, memorials are appreciated to the Boy Scouts of America.

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Wayne Gemas

April 22, 1937 — November 11, 2023

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