Leonard Wayne Belyeu

Leonard Wayne Belyeu was born in Bartlett, Texas on October 30, 1946 to Leonard Dewey Belyeu and Ida Jean Joiner Belyeu. He lived and went to school in and around the Temple/Bartlett area. He graduated from Barlett High School in 1965. He was active in sports, baseball, football, and track, throughout his high school years and found a love for sports, the work ethic involved, the discipline, the teamwork and the leadership. While he had ambitions to play at a higher level, he was drafted after graduation.

During his basic training and advanced training in the Army, he showed an aptitude to be a leader and to understand the discipline necessary for military service. He was chosen to train for Hawk missiles at Fort Bliss in El Paso. He was deployed to Germany and was given an opportunity to pursue his love of baseball with intramural games between units. After his two-year commitment for the draft, he was assigned to the Army Reserve and later the Texas Army National Guard (TANG). His understanding of the need for a strong military led him to remain with the TANG for military service spanning 28 years.

During this time, he again proved to excel in leadership, discipline and a work ethic that exceeded the usual "weekend warrior" standard. He spent ten years at the NCO Academy at Camp Mabry in Austin, working with a team who were dedicated to helping train troops in leadership, critical thinking, and basic skills necessary in the chain of command and necessary to the successful functioning of their units. Once again, being successful in achieving the goals of the program, he achieved the rank of Master Sergeant and was offered a Sergeant Major position, which he would not accept without first having served as a First Sergeant. When it appeared that he would be promoted anyway, he resigned from the TANG and joined the Army Reserve.

He was offered the position of First Sargeant at Headquarters Battery in New Braunfels with the 4th Battalion Field Artillery with TANG. He resigned from the Army Reserve and came back to the TANG, which is where his heart really wanted to be, expressing his desire to meet the standard and follow the proper protocol regarding rank and promotion. He was eventually promoted to Command Sargeant Major of the 4th Battalion Field Artillery and retired when the demands of physical training became too difficult to achieve. It was always important to meet the standard. 

During his whole life, his love for sports was fulfilled with playing baseball, softball, and volleyball recreationally through his job and locally in and around the Austin area. His devotion to teamwork and his gift for helping others learn the sport and be a successful team player were always on display. He had a natural athletic ability, and coaching was a love he was able to share after he retired from the Guard and began working for Lometa ISD as a maintenance man and bus driver. Early in that position, his love for children became obvious as he would bring breakfast and juice for children on the bus because they had to be on the bus so early, and then he would bring ice cream cups after school because it was so hot and they had such a long ride.

He soon became an assistant coach in all sports at the school and a paraprofessional Special Education Aide. He had a gift for seeing a child who was struggling. He could help that child see how to work through a problem by his understanding and ability to show the child how to achieve success.

He knew that sports helped give children a sense of belonging and boundaries. He also helped build a Little League program locally, coach and umpire games. He especially loved coaching T-Ball with the young ones. He and a retired Colonel and Resource Officer at the school, Darwin Odom, started a Junior Ranger program at the school. This gave all the students, even those who were not athletes, an opportunity to be involved in a program with discipline, teamwork and a focus on Army values. They were taught how to march, take pride in themselves and their school, how to take responsibility for their actions and they presented the flags at the football games and at Veterans Day programs at the school. For a short time, they were given the opportunity to work with soldiers from Fort Hood, who taught them survival skills training and mentoring until deployments were increased.

Wayne and his wife, Kathy, became foster parents during this period as well. His heart went out to children who had no control over how their lives were going and did not understand the dynamics of family life. He loved them like they were his own. He had a gift for being able to calm down a chaotic situation and let healing take place and trust be built. They adopted two of their foster children, Eric and Allen, and brought them into the family they always hoped for. While they were adopted legally, in his heart, all the foster sons, and the children at the school and Church were "his kids."

Music was also a love and gift Wayne shared as he was always bringing his guitar, playing and singing for holidays at nursing homes, the Senior Center and Church. He was a member of Good Shepherd Catholic Church, one third of the choir, serving on various ministries, a religious education teacher for children, being on the music team for men's and teen retreats, anywhere he could serve and share his talents. His proudest day was when he became Catholic and was able to receive his sacraments, especially the Eucharist.

Anywhere in the community where there was a volunteer needed, he was quick to step up. He was on the board for the Housing Authority, involved with the Senior Center, and a member of American Legion Post 116 as the treasurer. He said he must be the only one who could add and subtract. He and the Post were involved in building the Pavilion at the Lometa City Cemetery for the benefit of the community.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his younger brothers, Bobby and Ricky, his younger sister, Brenda Green of Georgetown, his son, Allen and his grandson, Charles "Gabriel" Waling.

On Monday, April 20, 2026, a rosary will be recited at Sneed-Carnley Funeral Chapel in Lampasas at 6:00 p.m., with visitation following until 8:00 p.m. On Tuesday, April 21, 2026, a Funeral Mass will be held at 1:00 p.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Lampasas. Burial will follow at the family cemetery, Gabriel's Rainbow, at the ranch. There will be a meal to follow the burial at Sammy's Cafe in Lometa.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Good Shepherd Catholic Church, where Wayne was a faithful member.