Dr. Wayne Daum's Obituary
Dr. Wayne John Gattas Daum passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, January 15, 2023, two weeks shy of his 78th birthday and his 15th Wedding Anniversary (yes, they were the same date “so he wouldn’t forget”). He was surrounded by loving family members in his last months, weeks, minutes and moments, every bit of which will be fondly remembered.
Wayne was born on February 2, 1945 in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Herman and Laurice (Abood) Daum. He was educated in the tradition of the Jesuits, attending St. Ignatius High School and John Carroll University, before leaving Cleveland to pursue a medical degree at St. Louis University (“SLU”).
Upon graduating from SLU, Wayne, now Dr. Daum, pursued an internship in orthopedics, ultimately becoming a specialist in total hip replacements. After decades in the operating room, Dr. Daum worked the twilight of his career seeing patients on a non-surgical basis, helping thousands of people with their orthopedic issues before ultimately retiring to the comforts of home in the western suburbs of Cleveland.
Those who knew Wayne, could tell you with certainty the things that he was passionate about: family, friends, Churchill, books, movies, trivia, Texas, St. Louis, Cleveland sports and, of course, a good drink and a great cigar (and if he could have those over a game of backgammon, all the better!).
Growing up in the Daum household meant exposure to core lessons he imparted to his children, in word and in action, which reside in them still today. The value of education. The benefit of backing into your parking spot. How to call out your backgammon roll in Turkish. And, most importantly, to make sure you do something for the betterment of mankind every day.
As he got older, Wayne also put a significant amount of effort into growing and elevating the relationships with those to whom he was closest. They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. So he taught himself. And we are all so grateful for that last lesson that he gave us.
He studied and read enough Winston Churchill that he could have given a dissertation on the man. It was Churchill’s mastery of the English language, as much as his war and political career, that drove Wayne’s passion. As Churchill himself would say, “There is no more important element in the technique of rhetoric than the continual employment of the best possible word”.
But his reading was not limited solely to his hero. Always an avid reader, Wayne’s appetite for knowledge was voracious and it felt like there was no topic you could ask him about that he did not know something about. When combined with his love of movies and tv shows, he was nearly unstoppable in Trivial Pursuit. Unless he was playing his sister. Trivia Question: what was Wayne’s favorite movie? Answer: Casablanca.
While he moved around extensively in his career (no, not because he was in the army), Wayne held certain places near and dear in his heart. Texas: the big, the small and the barbeque. St. Louis, because all of his children were born there and it just always felt like home. Cleveland, with its “factory of sadness” sports franchises that he loved to watch (and never gave up on), where generational friendships were forged and maintained and where he completed his circle of life.
And lastly, Wayne loved a good drink and a great cigar. Scotch & Soda was his favorite, but beer, Sauvignon Blanc or a martini was certainly within bounds from time to time. And when the weather was nice, perhaps a nice Arturo Fuente to go with his drink.
Wayne will be deeply missed by his wife, Nancy; children, Robert (Loraleigh) Daum, Scott (Kelly) Daum, Kurt (Cynthia) Daum and Courtney (Justin) Wolf and their mom and Wayne’s former spouse, Elaine (Kolo) Daum; his sister, Lila Fredenberg; his niece, Camille (James) Licklider and nephew, Christian (Anastasia) Anderson and so many other family & friends too numerable to be listed here. He also leaves behind three step-children, Melanie Lowe Fleischer, Matt Lowe & Paul (Lindsay) Slivka and 19 grandchildren, who will cherish the memories of their Grandpa/Zhiddo/Bubba/Papa forever.
Wayne was preceded in death by his parents, Herman and Laurice Daum. He will be deeply missed by many people whose lives he touched, including those in the medical community and patients with whom, and for whom, he worked for so many years.
Services are being held privately, however for those who would like to make a donation in his honor, he was dedicated to The Assad Abood Foundation, a charity focused on providing education for disadvantaged youth in his maternal family’s ancestral homeland of Aitanite, Lebanon. A link for donations can be found here: Assad Abood Foundation, http://assadaboodfoundation.weebly.com/donate.html.
A Celebration of Life (aka the “Funeral Party”) will be held later this year with details to be announced.
The family would like to thank all of Wayne’s extended family and friends, as well as his doctors and nurses at the Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Clinic Hospice, for the kindness shown to him during his many health challenges over the last several years.
Family and friends may visit Jardine Funeral Home, https://www.jardinefh.com/obituaries/, to view this obituary and send condolences.
On Wayne’s behalf, we leave you with just one question: what did you do for the betterment of mankind today?
What’s your fondest memory of Wayne?
What’s a lesson you learned from Wayne?
Share a story where Wayne's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Wayne you’ll never forget.
How did Wayne make you smile?
