Ferdie “Wayne” Clay died peacefully at his home in Tarboro, North Carolina, on Sunday morning, Oct. 11, 2026, at age 77. His family has scheduled a celebration of life for Wednesday, Oct. 14, at Edgewood OFWB Church.
For Becky Anderson Clay, who was married to him for fifty-five years, the loss now comes into focus with a public farewell just days away. Visitation will begin at 1:00 p.m. in the fellowship hall, followed by a service at 2:00 p.m. in the sanctuary, then interment with military honors at Edgecombe Memorial Park in Tarboro.
Clay was born in Nash County on Feb. 13, 1949, and later graduated from North Edgecombe High School before earning an associate degree in industrial engineering. The obituary does not spell out the kind of industrial engineering work he did, but it places that training after his schooling and before the rest of a life that included honorably serving in the United States Army after volunteering during the Vietnam era.
He is survived by Becky Anderson Clay; his son, Eric Clay of Macclesfield; his daughter, Christy Clay Batts and Brian of Hampstead; his sister, Millie Clay Inscoe and Mike of Denton; his niece and nephew, Amanda Inscoe and Michael Inscoe; and his grandchildren, Hannah Clay, Sarah Grace Clay, Parker Batts and Cade Batts. He was preceded in death by his sister, Jean Cooper of Rocky Mount.
The obituary also describes Clay as “a patriot at heart” who especially enjoyed being outdoors fishing, camping and grilling, with a final nod to the “delicious chocolate ice cream” his family said was made for him. What it does not say is what led to his death, leaving the family to gather next week around the service, the military honors and the unanswered detail of how he died.
