Bangor daily news obits maine12/10/2023 He loved his wife, his 5 cats, and the raccoons and possums he fed from his porch nightly. Wayne eventually developed Alzheimer's disease and rounded out his life living simply and peacefully. Wayne earned his sea captain's license and moved onto his catamaran in Florida with his beloved wife Alexis. In 1997 the Banjo Minnow earned the title of the most successful infomercial on television. In 1994 Wayne invented the Banjo Minnow Fishing System. Wayne was never shy to admit his shortcomings with organization and details, and relied heavily on his team.īy the mid 1990s Northern Outdoors had an established crew of leaders, allowing Wayne to pursue his dream of fishing daily. This made relating extremely challenging at times. Wayne was a passionate visionary with a temper. Wayne attributed a large portion of his success to the employees of Northern Outdoors. In the 1980's Wayne built Northern Outdoors outdoor adventure resort. His love for snowmobile racing led him to be the driving force behind the establishment of The Forks area snowmobile trail system. Wayne's joy for hunting led him to build a premier whitetail deer hunting camp. Being a consummate thrill seeker he spent a lot of time whitewater kayaking and helped young talented athletes along their way to success in this sport. Wayne later started the first commercial rafting in Upstate New York on the Moose and Hudson rivers. Wayne played an integral role in the negotiations with Central Maine Power Company, Great Northern Paper Company, and other private landowners to establish access to Maine's rivers. Wayne spent countless hours working with Maine's Legislators, the Land use Regulatory Committee (LURC), the Department of Fish and Game, as well as other regulatory committees to establish formal guide licensing and other laws around the fundamental structure of the industry. The discovery of the whitewater rapids led him down a path of deep exploration and determination.Īfter his successful first trip of blindly navigating the upper Kennebec River gorge with an old World War II raft he purchased, and involving a crew of brave and trusting bear hunters wearing jeans and sneakers, an industry was born. He stumbled upon the idea of a rafting industry while flying over the upper Kennebec River gorge looking for fishing holes. In 1975 Wayne's love for Maine overcame his desire for city success, and he moved to Rockwood, Maine, where he began building his outdoor legacy. In Boston, he opened a shop called Middle Earth, developed a commercial real estate business named Little and Company, and founded Waterrest Waterbeds. He hunted in Uganda, Africa, and became a registered Maine hunting and fishing guide and an aviation bush pilot. Wayne's twenties and early thirties were balanced between his love for the outdoors and his desire for career success. Wayne developed a love for the outdoors on Howard Pond in Hanover, Maine, at his family's camp. He was accepted to, and briefly attended Tufts University. He graduated from Governor Dummer Preparatory school in 1957, where he was an accomplished football, lacrosse, and track athlete. Wayne was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, to Clive Edward Hockmeyer and Mayre O'Brien Hockmeyer. He found his peace while hunting, fishing, and skiing. Wayne lived a life of profound accomplishment, appearing to have lived multiple lifetimes all in this one. He led with his heart and wore his emotions openly. His life's purpose was to create joy and adventure. Crystal River - Wayne Francis Hockmeyer, ambitious, devoted, and intuitive.
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