Wayne William Marks

Wayne William Marks of Atlantic Highlands, N.J., passed quickly and peacefully on July 9 with his wife beside him at Riverview Hospital in Red Bank, N.J. He was 53 and had been battling tongue cancer for nine months. Cause of death was liver cirrhosis. Wayne was born March 8, 1967 in Mount Kisco, N.Y. and he resided in Briarcliff Manor, N.Y. throughout his youth. He would cheerfully describe that youth as misspent, with nighttime antics on the local golf course and parties at the Rockefeller State Park Preserve. He delighted in the fact that he absorbed information and passed exams without applying himself overmuch to study, a quality that frustrated his instructors. He took a circuitous route through several institutes of higher education, eventually finding the right fit at SUNY Oneonta in Upstate New York. Because of its strong teaching program, the university had a high ratio of female students. This was a key selling point. Wayne graduated in 1992 with a BA in English. In 2010, he completed the Securities Industry Institute program at the Wharton School of Business, an enriching experience. Wayne’s professional career involved education, finance and writing – in some cases a nexus of the three. He started out in a Wall Street boiler room making cold calls at First Investors, where he quickly realized he did not want to work as a broker. The highlight of his time there occurred when he came up with an idea for a new investment vehicle. The response from his boss: “Congratulations, kid. You just reinvented the Ponzi Scheme.” His next stop was more rewarding and would point the way forward. Wayne worked at the National Academy of Finance in New York, a network of education, business and community leaders who partner with high schools in high-need communities. Accompanying a student group to Washington, he met both civil rights leader Jesse Jackson and former President Gerald Ford. He greeted the latter with a firm grip, learning too late that Mr. Ford had recently injured his right hand. During the internet boom of the early 2000s, Wayne did short stints at a pair of start-ups-one educational, the other financial. He then became part of the online team at Prudential Financial, writing and editing content for its new consumer-facing website. He moved on to KPMG, translating dense accounting regulations into an approximation of human language. He was professionally happiest at his post as Director of Administration for the Sifma (Securities Industry and Financial Markets) Foundation, which provided financial education curricula to 4th through 12th grade teachers. He was extremely proud of helping to expand The Stock Market Game program across the country. In 2012, he was certified as a FINRA Dispute Resolution Arbitrator. From 2010 onward, he worked as a freelance writer and editor. Wayne had a quick wit, loved to laugh and loved life. He could strike up a conversation with anyone, and often did. He had a good heart. And he was much loved. He is survived by his wife, Jennifer (Negley) Marks of Atlantic Highlands, N.J.; his mother, Joanne (Gaskill) Becenti of Albuquerque, N.M.; father James Marks and stepmother Carol Marks of Chandler, N.C.; sister Serena (Marks) Gordon of Mohegan Lake, N.Y., brother Kevin Marks and sister-in-law Kelly Marks of Littleton Colo.; sister-in-law Lorraine (Negley) Hughes and brother-in-law Brian Hughes of Evanston, Ill.; sister-in-law Theresa (Negley) Diana and brother-in-law John Diana of Napa, Calif.; sister-in-law Karen (Negley) Groenweghe and brother-in-law Eric Groenweghe of Newberg, Ore; brother-in-law David Burghard and sister-in-law Elizabeth Burghard; his sister’s child, Jamie “Tony” Gordon; nieces Kathryn Groenweghe, Carmen Groenweghe and Grace Diana; and nephews Liam Marks, Dylan Marks and Andrew Diana. He was predeceased by his grandparents: William J. and Mary Gaskill; and Wayne C. and Helen Marks along with aunts and uncles. Because of COVID-19 precautions, there will not be an immediate in-person memorial service. Those who wish to donate to a cause in his name are welcome to do so. Mostly, Wayne would love to be remembered with laughter. So fill to me the parting glass Good night and joy be with you all