Wendell Mayo Jr., 65, of Haskins, passed away Monday, May 6, at St. Luke’s Hospital, surrounded by his family.
Wendell was born 1953 in Corpus Christi, Texas, to Wendell and Blanche Mayo, both deceased.
Wendell is known for his distinguished writing. Wendell published five story collections and has two story collections forthcoming in 2019 and 2020. He has written over 100 short stories in literary journals.
Wendell gave 100 percent to everything he did for our community of writers. One former graduate student wrote “All of us who learned to write in his shadow would be much less, if anything at all, but for him. He lived a rich life, left much wonderful writing behind, and a legacy of many, many student-writers that will live on”.
He started his teaching career in 1991 as an assistant professor at IUPU Fort Wayne then University of Louisiana at Lafayette. In 1996, he joined BGSU Creative Writing Department and retired as Emeritus Professor of Creative Writing and Literature in 2018.
Wendell is survived by his wife of 36 years, Deborah Ann Mayo (nee Masonis); daughters, Jennifer Thomas and Amy Stillion, Ohio; four grandchildren, Gabriel, Marcello, Danny, and Andrew; brother, John Mayo, Texas; and sister, Mary Ann Hughes, Ohio. He is preceded in death by his brother Edward Mayo, Utah.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Marineland Dolphin Adventure 9600 Oceanshore Blvd., St. Augustine, FL 32080.
