Clarence Wayne Gilley

On August 26, the world lost a truly selfless man. Clarence Wayne Gilley, 70, of Burlington, passed away after years of declining health. Born in 1956, Wayne was the eldest child of Clarence “Doc” and Wilda Gilley, both deceased. He was raised in Graham, NC, and he never strayed far from home. After graduation from Graham High School, Wayne took a job at GKN where he worked for nearly 40 years. Throughout his adult life, Wayne enjoyed hunting, fishing, playing softball, umpiring, and attending whatever event his grandchildren were involved in. He was also a member of Solid Rock Baptist Church for many years.

In 1990, Wayne married the love of his life and very best friend, Tammy Caviness Gilley and they were blessed for over 36 years. When they got married, Wayne accepted a package deal and he adopted her son, Matthew. Over the years, Wayne never treated Matthew with anything other than adorning love and respect. He was his son. It definitely takes someone with a huge unconditional loving heart to take in someone that was not his biologically, and Wayne did that without hesitation. That’s just who he was. When Matthew got married, Wayne got a daughter-in-law, and then two grandchildren followed to complete the family. Matthew’s family was truly the light of his life, with most of the spotlight on his two grandchildren.

Wayne is survived by his faithful wife and caregiver, Tammy Caviness Gilley. His son and daughter-in-law, Matthew and Lynnesaye Gilley, and their two children, Hunter and AnnaBeth Gilley. He is also survived by his sister, Toni Gilley and a brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Doug and Cathy Dunman, and a niece and several nephews. Outside of his family, Wayne spent most of his time with his precious four-legged friend, Gracie, who kept him company until the very end. Wayne was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence “Doc” and Wilda Gilley and his in-laws, Rev. Edsel and Betty Caviness.

A service to celebrate Wayne’s life will be on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, at 12:00 pm at McClure Funeral Home in Graham. Visitation will be from 11:00-11:45 am and burial will follow the service at Graham Memorial Park.

The family would like to send heartfelt gratitude to the staff at AuthoraCare of Alamance County for all their support and assistance during this time.