Wayne H. Mackie

Wayne H. Mackie, 60, of Coram passed away on March 12, 2010 at North Valley Hospital in Whitefish.

Wayne was born on July 9, 1949 in Frankfort, Mich., to Hursel and Beatrice (Currie) Mackie. Wayne had one older brother, Leonard Mackie, whom he loved dearly.

In early 1960, Wayne and his parents moved to Phoenix, leaving Leonard behind to start a new life with Sandy, his soon-to-be bride. While in Phoenix, Wayne attended Phoenix Union High School and graduated in 1967. Wayne then moved back to Michigan and stayed with good friends Sid and Ruth Harris, and that is when he bought two old semi-trucks and started hauling Christmas trees, the beginning of his trucking career. The Christmas of 1969 he proposed to Sandra Lou Fox and she said yes the second time. They moved back to Phoenix and married in June 1970. Together they had a beautiful son, John, in July 1972.

During that time Wayne built Certified Freight lines with a lot of hard work and perseverance, which under a new company name is still in business today, operated by his stepson Danny.

In 1986 Wayne married Lynn Molpus in Las Vegas. Together they had a son, Jacob, in June 1987, and the apple of his eye, a baby girl, Jennifer, in January 1991. Wayne also took Lynn's children Danny and Connie Pearson under his wing and raised them as his own.

In June of 1991, the day after John's high school graduation, Wayne packed up the family and moved to Montana. This may not have been a typical move, but because Wayne was a daring man, he chose to move both his wife and ex-wife with him. Lynn and Sandy had become very good friends over the years and Wayne was moving both of their children so it only seemed fitting that they come along also!

The move to Montana was the beginning of a new adventure for Wayne, which he was always up for. Wayne had purchased Flying Eagle Ranch and he was going to be a cowboy. In 1995 Wayne and the family built Rawhide Trading Post in West Glacier and 15 years later it is a beautiful log building nestled alongside U.S. Highway 2 just outside Glacier National Park.

In the last few years Wayne slowed down and took the time to be able to sneak away with his brother Leonard for an occasional duck hunt in Canada or fishing trip in Florida. Those trips were cherished and he spoke of them often. His son Jacob was able to join him on his last couple fishing trip and wishes there were more trips like that to come with his dad.

A friend of Wayne's recently had the opportunity to share the Lord's teachings with him and because of that he had accepted the Lord as his savior, and this makes his family happy to know that they will someday see him again.

Wayne is survived by his wife Lynn and Little Bit, his puppy, at the family ranch in Coram. Ex-wife and friend Sandy Trowbridge and husband Lawrence in Coram. John Mackie and wife Tami of Coram. Danny Pearson and wife Angie of Phoenix.

Jacob Mackie and Ashlee of Coram. Jennifer Martinez and husband AJ of Coram. Connie Pearson of Coram. Two beautiful grandchildren Makinzie Lynn Marie and Garrett Anthony Martinez of Coram.

Brother Leonard Mackie and wife Sandy of Corunna, Mich., Will and Kristen Mackie and children. Steve and Martha Mackie and children. Bob and Tracy Mackie and children. Katie and Don Plashek and children. Beth and Andy Eggleston and children, all of Michigan. John Michael Wallace who Wayne thought of as a son.

Wayne also had some good lifelong friends who will miss him much: Sid and Ruth Harris of Michigan and Louie and Grace Franks of California.

Wayne was preceded in death by his mother Beatrice Lucille Currie Mackie in 1982 and his father Hursel Mackie in 1994. And by Sparkplug, his pet Brahma bull, who Wayne also moved here from Arizona.

Columbia Mortuary cared for the family.

The family wants to thank Butch and Donna Robinson and the John and Suzette Taylor family and numerous friends who put on a huge barbecue potluck for all who attended his memorial.