Wayne Allan Granger

Nobody gets out of here alive! That's what Wayne Granger, 79 of Estancia, NM would have said about his own passing, with his sense of humor. All that knew him, knew he loved to joke and give people a hard time. Sadly, he left us on June 29, 2022, in Albuquerque, NM surrounded by family. He was born on May 16, 1943, in Tucumcari, NM to Oscar and Lois Granger. His stories about the many mischiefs and adventures he got into in his youth were endless. In his 20’s he moved to Mountainair where he became a police officer and met his wife of 51 years, Barbara, from Estancia. Together they had one son, John. Wayne transitioned to a firefighter and spent 30 years of service in different parts of the state, but mainly Estancia. He spent a lifetime in the field of public safety, touching many different people along the way. Wayne’s other career passion was a part-time role as a Medical Investigator for the State of NM for 47 years, from 1974 to 2021. He was a special kind of person who could deal with death and grief and the hardships that came with the people around it. He touched so many lives throughout the years with his care and compassion. Although many situations left a lasting affect on his emotions, he used the sense of humor we all knew him by, to get through. Wayne often joked that at least his customer’s never talked back. His hobbies and interests included hanging out with family, gardening, and reading any newspaper he could get his hands on. Wayne loved to give his grandkids grotesque funny-looking characters he drew to make them laugh, to the dismay of his wife. He also loved talking someone's ear off and sharing the many shenanigans and pranks he was involved in. He was proceeded in death by his parents, Oscar and Lois, and his brother Jack. He’s survived by his wife Barbara of Estancia; son John and his wife Jerri of Rio Rancho; brother Warren and sister Jill of Mountainair and their families; grandchildren, Heather, Rael, Krishna, Janovy, and Dedeker; and one great-grandchild, Fabian. Wayne will truly be missed by all those that loved and cherished him. We are certain that he is somewhere right now telling one of his many tales to someone and smiling. To honor Wayne’s memory, we are holding a celebration of his life on Saturday, September 3 at 11 am at the Moriarty Civic Center located at 202 Broadway St. A lunch reception will be served after the eulogy. We just ask that you come prepared for conversation as this was one of the things Wayne loved the most. Funeral arraignments entrusted to Harris-Hanlon Mortuary in Moriarty, NM