Wayne Reed left quite a legacy. He was born in Rockville, CT on 9/27/56 and he went home to be with his Lord Jesus on 9/23/21. He leaves behind his wife Susan (married 42 years) as well as his 3 sons and daughters-in-law: Jarrod (Megan), Tyler (Lauren), and Caleb (Lyndsey), and 9 grandchildren: Eliaya, Elora, Ezra, Alethia, Anastasia, Aria, Olivia, Constance and Penelope. Wayne loved the ocean: fishing, snorkeling, scuba diving, and enjoying the beach. He received his undergraduate degree in Oceanography and Environmental Technology from the Florida Institute of Technology in 1979. He would have loved nothing better than to know that he would forever be remembered for his love for the ocean and for doing his part to protect the environment. The Wayne Reed Memorial Reef does just that – set in waters off the coast of Mexico Beach, FL which was devastated by Hurricane Michael in 2019 – the reef will help to reduce storm surge from future storms and provide a permanent home for marine life. It stands as a permanent memorial to Wayne’s life well-lived and a love and appreciation for the ocean His Lord created. His marker in the reef reads “Love God. Love people. Live like it.”
The reef consists of 2 Florida Limestone Artificial Reef structures placed 22 May 2023. Surveyed 3 Jun 2023.
Location:
Car Body
REEF ID: 279
Final Reef Placement: 5/22/2023
Latitude: 29° 54.490 N
Longitude: 85° 31.925 W
Range: 5.8 nm
Bearing: 245
Depth: 55 feet
Range and Bearing is taken from mouth of Mexico Beach Canal.