Mr. Wayman Roger Smith

Wayman Roger Smith, age 65 made his heavenly transition on June 20th, 2018. He was born and raised in Akron, Ohio to parents Willie Lewis Smith and Versie Lee Head Smith. Wayman was a man of great faith; he touched many lives in his journey. Through his service to the church, community, and his family, he planted seeds, tilled the soil and helped to nurture the garden of many lives. He loved God and his family. Wayman graduated with a major in journalism and minor in computer science from Ohio University. He worked at Xavier University in New Orleans, Bell South in Atlanta and Hewlett-Packard in San Diego and Atlanta. In 1995, he stepped out on faith and started his own business, Wayman & Associates, specializing in software consulting. Through his management of Wayman & Associates, he was able to mentor other young businesses in the South Dekalb area, working in partnership with the South Dekalb Business Incubator. He also went on to teach business and entrepreneurship to students at the Atlanta University Center through learning modules and mock cases. In 1979 he met Wanda Wells on a blind date set up by mutual friends. They were married in 1982 and had two daughters, Zakiya and Yulani. In 2006, Wayman was diagnosed with kidney disease. His ability to travel was impaired, impacting his business. But he didn’t let his illness hold him back, and in 2008 he decided to use his newfound free time to pursue a Master’s degree in Anthropology. In May 2010, a week after his daughter Yulani received her bachelor's degree from Georgia Tech, Wayman received his Master’s degree from Georgia State University. God is merciful, and in the following week, he received a kidney transplant. He went on to teach Anthropology at Georgia Perimeter College until his most recent illness. Wayman was active in the church. He was a Sunday school teacher for toddlers at Bayview Baptist church in San Diego, teaching Sunday School to his own daughter. Upon relocating to Atlanta in 1990, he and his family joined Cascade United Methodist Church. He was active in Christian Education at Cascade, where he also taught Sunday school for the high school class, again teaching his daughters for a time. Most recently, he was a teacher in the Believers adult class at Cascade. Anyone who knew Wayman knew of his passion for family history. He spent decades researching the family’s origins, scouring county archives, interviewing elders within the family and using his findings to write a book about his mother’s side of the family. With the foundation of his graduate degree focus in cultural anthropology, Wayman was in the process of editing the book for publication. In addition to his church responsibilities, family life, and professional career, Wayman was also passionate about his local community. He previously served as president of the Brook Glen Neighborhood Association and remained active in the association throughout his life. Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Wanda, his two daughters, Zakiya Smith Ellis (Thomas) of Medford, New Jersey and Yulani Smith of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, brothers, Freddie (Johnny) Smith and Roy Smith of Akron, OH; Ray Smith of Tucker, GA; and sister Betty Gilmore (George) of Fayetteville, PA and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. Wayman is proceeded in death by his parents, Willie Lewis and Versie Lee Smith and brother Edward Smith. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the PKD Foundation, American Cancer Society, Cascade United Methodist Church or Xavier University in New Orleans.

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Mr. Wayman Roger Smith

December 3, 1952 - June 20, 2018