BURGAW — Edward Wayne Cowan, 80, a beloved husband, father, brother and friend passed away Wednesday, October 29, 2025 leaving a legacy of love, strength, integrity, and thoughtfulness of others.
He was born September 30, 1945, in Burgaw, the son of Edward Owen Cowan and Nealie Dale Cowan. In addition to his parents, Wayne was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Patricia “Pat” Leimone Cowan.
Wayne is survived by his daughters, Michelle Huffman, Melissa Cowan, and Jennifer Holland and her husband, Paul; grandsons, Hudson James Huffman and Banks Cowan Holland; sister, Joyce James; brother, Kenneth “Pete” Cowan and his wife, Sue; several nieces: and many loyal friends.
Wayne graduated Burgaw High School in 1963 where he was Co-Captain of the Varsity Basketball Team. School is where he met his life-long love Pat Leimone, and they would go on to have three adored daughters. This is also where he cultivated friendships with a group that remained a routine and important part of his life. Their weekly Saturday breakfasts led to adventures that put everyone home after lunch and sometimes well into the afternoon.
After high school, he attended Wilmington College, which later would become the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
After farming for many years, Wayne started his own successful trucking company, Carolina Transport of Burgaw, which employed over 30 drivers and an office staff that were like family to him.
The highlights of Wayne’s life became his two grandsons, Hudson and Banks. They all share a love of sports, riding ATVs at the family farm and their trait of impatience for waiting in a line….or for anything really.
There is a quote that says, “Happiness is spending days together with your grown children and realizing that you’ve won the lottery of life.” He realized this, and so did his three girls. None of us took these blessed times together for granted and they will leave a legacy of how to live for generations to come within our family.
While we will all miss our earthly time with him, we rejoice in knowing he is with our Mother and in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ our Savior, and we take great comfort knowing we will all be reunited in Heaven.
The family would like to thank his loyal friends- Everett Durham, Gary Trawick, Bertice Lanier and Charles Rooks for the wonderful memories they created with our Dad.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Burgaw Presbyterian Church, PO Box 565, Burgaw, NC 28425 where Wayne and his family are multi-generational members.
Shared memories and condolences may be sent to the family here.
