Sixth District

In my early maturing years, I lived almost all my life in various hotels in Florida because my father, Albert Sayward Wing, was a hotel manager. Later, I even lived in the famous Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. After graduating from Ocala High School in Florida (Class of ’61), I completed two semesters at CFJC (Central Florida Junior College). I spent a summer working for my uncle in Oregon.  I then enrolled at Oklahoma State University, spent three semesters at Memphis State University, eventually transferred back to OSU and finally graduated with a degree in business & marketing.

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After a seven-year stint in management with the J.C. Penny Company, including a transfer to North Little Rock, Arkansas in 1969, I took a leap of faith and became an insurance agent for the New York Life Insurance Company. During the following decades with NYL, I qualified for most of the industry awards for excellence including consistent qualification in the Million Dollar Roundtable, qualification to the NYL Presidents Council, and eventually became NYL’s Arkansas agent of the year in 1994.  After more than twenty years with NYLIC, I decided to become an independent agent and started my own agency called Insurance Benefits Unlimited. IBU’s focus was on individual and group health insurance.

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A major factor in my quest for success was meeting a fellow OSU student named, Gayle Elizabeth Meixner and we were married in 1966.  Another significant step up for both myself and Gayle was our affiliation with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1968. Both of us have been active participants in this Christian faith having served in numerous lay callings. We celebrated this past April, the 50th anniversary of the baptism covenant and we are now in our 53rd year of marriage!

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We have reared five children, all are college graduates, all are married, financially self-sufficient, and we have been blessed with 18 grandchildren.

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I am now called “semi-retired”, which really means I have never been busier; Currently I am restoring a ’53 Chevy pick-up, and a ‘90 Corvette.  I am a shade-tree architect and continue to modify the house I’ve lived in for 40 years to suit my fantasies.  Of course, we do have a “few” grandchildren. Gayle and I have been serving as Temple ordinance workers in the Memphis Tennessee Temple of our Church, I teach volunteer courses on “Self-Reliance” for persons interested in managing their finances, starting their own business, or improving their employment situation. Plus a few other things. . . Such as: I play the drums once a week for a band we call “Rock-City Sound” with four other senior age country-rock-blues connoisseurs.

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Some years ago, in 1978, I visited Boston, New Bedford and Sandwich, which further hooked me on researching my family tree to better get to know those who have gone before my current generation.  I gladly volunteered to Represent District 6 when I noticed there was a vacancy in that position. The more I learn about my ancestors the more I love being a member of the Wing Family of America.