Funeral services for Jimmy "Wayne" Taunton, age 62 of Ruston, LA will be held at 2:00 PM, Sunday, August 10, 2025 at Owens Memorial Chapel with Bro. Will Rogers officiating.  Burial will follow in Hamilton Cemetery in Dubach under direction of Owens Memorial Chapel Funeral Home of Ruston, LA.

Wayne was born March 15, 1963 in Bernice, LA to Jimmy and Nancy Taunton and passed away Sunday, July 20, 2025 in Bora Bora, French Polynesia. Wayne graduated from Cedar Creek School in 1981 and Louisiana Tech University in 1985. His work ethic showed at an early age as he was a stand-out multi- sport athlete at Cedar Creek, while also maintaining a strong academic resume. This persisted throughout his 43-year career in the poultry industry. He grew up attending First Baptist Church in Dubach, LA. Wayne was an avid outdoorsman that loved hunting, fishing, and going anywhere that he could park his camper, mainly next to his camping buddies, Sean and Toni Rogers. But his true passion was spending time with his wife, his children, and his seven grandchildren.

Wayne is preceded in death by his father, Jimmy Earl Taunton of Dubach, LA: paternal grandparents, Jack Taunton Sr. and wife Ruby of Jonesville, LA; maternal grandparents, Leon Hayden and wife Ila of Dubach, LA; father-in-law, Jerry Hobson of West Monroe, LA; and beloved nephew, Christopher Long of West Monroe, LA. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Vera Hobson Taunton of Ruston, LA; son, Jared; daughters, Brittany (Brandon Hunt) and Alexis (Tripp Marcus); mother, Nancy Hayden Taunton; sister, Karen (David Cain); mother-in-law, Patsy Hobson; sister-in-law, Toni Hobson Rogers (Sean); and brother-in-law, Jamie Hobson (Sara). Wayne loved his family big and was a proud Pop-Pop to his grandchildren: Lilah Taunton, Felicity Hunt, Cash Hunt, River Hunt, Sawyer Hunt, Lennon Grace Hunt, and Malakai Marcus. He is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins that he loved and enjoyed spending time with.

Serving as pallbearers will be Bobby Godina, Jeff White, Jason Wilson, Greg Sharp, Joey Gaspard, Troy Rankin, Scott Barton, and Michael Hayes. Honorary pallbearers will be Sean Rogers, David Cain, Jamie Hobson, Brandon Hunt, and Tripp Marcus.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Jude Children's Hospital, which held a special place in Wayne's heart, due to his grandson Sawyer winning his battle against Leukemia. www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html

Visitation will be from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM Saturday at Owens Memorial Chapel. To leave an online memorial message for the family, please visit: www.owensmemorialfuneralhome.com