Arthur ‘Wayne’ Markland passes away at age 69
Published 7:16 pm Monday, September 11, 2017
- Contributed Photo Arthur "Wayne" Markland, at right, spent nearly three decades serving Elizabethton and Carter County as a law enforcement officer. He is shown here with his daughter, Jenna Markland, at her graduation from the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy.
A Carter County man who dedicated nearly three decades of his life to serving his community passed away over the weekend.
Arthur “Wayne” Markland, 69, of Elizabethton, passed away on Friday. He spent nearly three decades serving as a law enforcement officer, finishing his career with the Carter County Sheriff’s Office as a Captain.
A graduate of Unaka High School, Markland began his law enforcement career at the Carter County Sheriff’s Office under then-Sheriff George Papantoniou. In 1980, Markland left the Sheriff’s Office and moved across the river to work for the Elizabethton Police Department.
For 16 years Markland worked with the city department before returning to where his career began to accept a new position on Sept. 1, 1996.
“He was Sheriff (John) Henson’s Chief Deputy when Henson was elected sheriff in 1996,” said CCSO Chief Deputy James Parrish. In addition to serving as the Chief Deputy, Markland also served as an Operational Captain with the Sheriff’s Office after returning there.
Markland remained with the Sheriff’s department until his retirement on June 30, 2005.
“We all loved him, and he’s going to be missed,” Parrish said of Markland. “He was a good man.”
Markland also served his community in a variety of other ways.
“He loved Carter County, and he helped a lot of people in a lot of ways, not just through law enforcement,” said Tammy Ward, who was one of Markland’s daughters. “He was a lifetime member of the Rescue Squad, and he was real proud of that.”
Carter County Rescue Squad Director Terry Arnold recalls working with Markland during the agency’s early days when it was an all volunteer operation.
“He was a dedicated Squad man for many, many years,” Arnold said. “I’ve spent many nights with him on calls.”
Markland also served as Chairman of Carter County’s Civil Service Board for a time.
Markland and his wife, Nancy, owned and operated popular local restaurant Wayne & Nancy’s Family Kitchen, located at 2608 Stateline Road. He could often be found there talking to the restaurant’s regular customers.
Many of those who knew him all shared one thought on his passing: He will be missed.
