Wayne Boyce Harbarger III

Wayne Boyce Harbarger III was born on October 15, 1949 in Newport, RI, the eldest son of U.S. Naval officer Wayne Harbarger II and schoolteacher Wilma Jean (Martin) Harbarger. Along with brothers Scott, Mark, and Joel, the family was stationed in California, Texas, Rhode Island, Virginia and Maryland until 1956 when they moved home to Jackson, Ohio. As a child, Wayne loved all sports, but through his life he especially followed football, baseball and golf. Wayne graduated from Jackson High School in 1967 and briefly attended Ohio University before marrying his first wife, Patricia Connors.

In 1968, Wayne joined the U.S. Marine Corps and served his country in Vietnam before being honorably discharged. He returned home and completed degrees at The Ohio State University and Pepperdine University School of Law, passing the bar to practice law in the state of California in 1976. Wayne moved to Sacramento to be near family, and as proprietor of Harbarger Law Firm, he practiced corporate law until 1995.

In the late 1990’s, Wayne began to purchase and rehabilitate real estate, before earning a contractor’s license. He especially enjoyed the hunt for the next piece of property and the challenge of fixing it. Before long, he created his next business venture, Sacramento Handyman, which he continued to manage until his passing. 

He met Marcia Slaboch and they were married in 2006. They traveled both internationally and stateside with a goal to visit each major league baseball park, and fell short of this goal by only three locations. Together, Wayne and Marcia had a wide circle of friends, some of whom they traveled with, and they also hosted many gatherings and game nights in their home. Wayne took pride in becoming a stepfather and grandfather to Marcia’s daughters and their families, and could often be heard at their sporting events and recitals cheering them on.

In 2013, Wayne achieved his dream and became an umpire with the Greater Sacramento Softball Association, where he worked throughout the region as a respected expert in the field. In 2017-18, he received the National Indicator Fraternity award for fast pitch softball. He thoroughly enjoyed his work as an umpire, and was active until the very end of his life.

He enjoyed watching and discussing sports, particularly his beloved Ohio State Buckeyes, while also savoring good company, good food, and good cigars. Each fall, he hosted the annual football pool and weekly Monday Night Football gatherings to share his love of the game. He was also devoted to the game of golf, having played with his father on courses throughout the world, including at St. Andrew’s in Scotland. 

Wayne passed away on July 7, 2019 after a tough battle with cancer, and will be extremely missed. He is survived by his wife Marcia of Citrus Heights; his stepdaughters Kate (Jay) Kirkpatrick and grandsons James and Aaron of Reno, NV; and Barb (Steve) Ramirez and grandchildren Anna and William of Citrus Heights; brothers Scott (Luwanna), Mark of Sacramento, and Joel (Wendy) of Monroe, OH; brother-in-law Keith Slater of Roseville; sister-in-law Terry Marks of Sacramento; nephews Nate and Daniel; and nieces Molly and Sara (James McCracken).

A private burial will occur at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery in Dixon, CA and a separate Celebration of Life is being planned, by invitation only.

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