Just like that, at 10:55 p.m., less than two hours after what he had described to Paula as “the greatest night of my life”, the most accomplished basketball player Montana has ever produced was gone. Word spread quickly and grief hung over the Utah State community like a heavy blanket for days. On campus, where flags flew at half-staff, students and faculty wept openly. Businesses closed.
Anaconda, a hardened smelter town, was even more inconsolable. The funeral procession was more than 15 miles long. More than 4,000 people attended two services. Eventually, those left behind forged ahead, though friends and family closest to Wayne told me they still grieve.
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