WAYNE STEELE DARLING

MONKTON — Wayne Steele Darling, born Oct. 2, 1946, in Nampa, Idaho, died at home in Vermont Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, at age 79.

Wayne grew up in Idaho and graduated from Borah High School in Boise, Class of 1965. He was predeceased by his parents, Elden West Darling and Maurine Steele Darling, and by his older brother, Richard West Darling.

For many years, Wayne navigated complex health challenges with remarkable determination, resilience, and his special brand of good humor, sometimes sprinkled with absurd hilarity that surprises you into laughing even in heavy moments. He faced each day with optimism and an abiding ability to find the good in people and circumstances.

He died at home with his wife, Peggy, by his side. They were married on April 26, 1969, and shared a life filled with steadfast love, grounded in warm partnership, mutual respect, and quiet joy, with unwavering devotion and enduring care. Wayne was surrounded by the things he loved, including rustic furniture and functional art he crafted by hand. He was Peggy’s best friend and the love of her life.

Wayne was a devoted father to their two children, Heather Darling-Corte and her husband Israel Corte of New York City, and Benjamin Darling and his wife Melanie Ivanoff of Nashville, Tenn. He was a proud and loving grandfather to Milo Corte, Lucia Corte, and Eleanor Darling.

He is survived by his sisters and their families: Christine (Joel) Cook of Vermont; Diane (Scott) Atkinson of Idaho; and Debra Gibbs of Texas. He is also survived by the children of his late brother Richard and their families — Kim (Rick) Johnson and Blake (Amanda) Darling, both of Utah — as well as a host of Wayne and Peggy’s extended family — nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Wayne held a deep spiritual connection to the natural world. As a student, he worked summers as a woodsman and logger in the Rocky Mountains, experiences that shaped his lifelong reverence for the outdoors. He shared this love with his family through cross-country camping trips to National and State Parks and through years of bicycling, downhill skiing, and cross-country skiing. He found everyday delight in observing wildlife — birds, deer, bears, bobcats, and more — around his home on a dirt road at the edge of Monkton Town Forest, where he lived for the past 54 years.

Athletics were central to Wayne’s life from an early age. He attended Columbia University, where he earned a degree in Political Science in 1969, captained the wrestling team, and completed Naval ROTC with an honorable discharge. Before moving to Vermont in 1972, he taught history and politics and coached wrestling and football at St. Paul’s School in Garden City, N.Y. Throughout his life, Wayne remained an active participant and dedicated spectator of many sports. During Heather and Ben’s school years, he spent eight seasons timing races for the Addison Otters Swim Team. Even during illness, he remained committed to physical fitness, often creating his own pre-operative training routines to “get in shape” before surgeries.

Wayne also had a lifelong gift for language. His early involvement in debate fostered a clarity and eloquence that stayed with him. He was a gifted storyteller and a thoughtful writer, expressing care and connection through letters, poems and personal notes. He recently shared his family story in a collaborative memoir, Yes, We Are Darlings, written with his surviving siblings.

Professionally, Wayne brought calm judgment, communication skills, and keen observation to his work. He spent over 25 years at Middlebury College in Public Safety and Security, including service at the college’s art museum. Earlier in his career, he managed service teams at Toyota and Volkswagen dealerships in Burlington.

A celebration of Wayne’s life will be held at a later date in both Idaho and Vermont.

Memorial donations may be made in Wayne’s honor to: Sandy Hook Promise, Autistic Self Advocacy Network, and Monkton Town Forest Committee.

Heartfelt thanks are extended to Bristol Rescue Squad, the physicians and caregivers at the University of Vermont Medical Center, Porter Hospital, and Mount Sinai Hospital Transplant Team in New York City.

“Call me by the old familiar name. Speak of me in the easy way which you always used. Put no difference into your tone. Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.”

—Henry Scott-Holland ◊