A Life of Faith, Work Ethic, and Quiet Leadership
At Fortis Siteworks, the day always seemed to begin with Wayne Brown.
Before the sun was fully up, Wayne would already be there. He was the one who unlocked the
shop gate each morning, quietly setting the tone for the entire team. Trucks would roll in, the
shop would come to life, and the workday would start the same way it always did, with Wayne
already hard at work.
Wayne joined Fortis Siteworks in 2025, hired by Rob Ward. Even then, Wayne had enough life
experience to have chosen retirement. But he told his wife, Celestine, that he genuinely enjoyed
being part of the Fortis team and planned to keep working for several more years.
Rob remembers Wayne as someone who simply never complained.
In his words, “No one ever had a negative interaction with Wayne.”
He cared deeply about three things: God, his family, and doing an honest day’s work. And he
lived those priorities every day.
Wayne believed that work mattered. Not just the work itself, but the way it was done. He took
pride in every piece of equipment he operated and every vehicle he touched. His trucks and
machines were always clean and well cared for. If something needed fixing, Wayne was usually
the one who could figure it out. A self-taught mechanic, he loved to tinker and solve problems.
Recently, he had even started working on bringing one of the company’s old F-150s back to life
after it had been sitting idle for years.
He had also recently started driving the lowboy, something he was excited about and proud to do.
Wayne expected the same dedication from others that he brought to himself. If he saw someone
taking a little too long at lunch or cutting corners, he would say something. As Rob recalls with a
smile, “Wayne would call you out at work if he thought you were taking too long. He’d say,
‘Hey, get back to work!”
But it was never harsh. It was said in a kind of tone only someone who truly cares can use, part
fatherly advice, part friendly accountability.
Wayne also had a sense of humor that the team will never forget.
One day, while Wayne was out of town hauling rock, his personal truck needed to be moved at
the office. Rob called him and asked if the keys were in it.
“They are,” Wayne said. “But I want you to move it.”
Rob obliged and moved Wayne’s red Dodge.
Later that day, Wayne called back and casually asked, “While you moved my truck… did you
happen to find a black snake in there?”
Rob’s throat went dry at the thought. “No sir,” he replied quickly. “No black snake in there when
I got in it.”
It didn’t take long for the rest of the crew to hear about it, and Rob was reminded about that
“snake” more than a few times afterward.
That was Wayne. Hardworking, steady, and able to bring a little humor into the day.
Just recently, Wayne was named the Fortis Siteworks Core Values Champion, an award voted
on by his peers and leaders. In the last twelve months, he received more votes for dedication than
any other team member. It was a reflection of how deeply respected he was by everyone who
worked beside him.
Outside of work, Wayne served faithfully as a Deacon at his church. His faith was not something
he talked about often, but it was evident in the way he treated people, the way he worked, and the
way he showed up every day.
Wayne Brown was the kind of man who made a team stronger simply by being part of it.
The Fortis Siteworks shop gate will open each morning just like it always has. The trucks will
start, the work will begin, and the day will move forward. But there will always be a space in
those mornings where Wayne once stood.
He will be deeply missed by the entire Fortis Siteworks family.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Celestine, his children, their extended family, and all
those whose lives were better because they knew him.