By Miles Layton

PLYMOUTH — Mary Wayt, longtime publisher and editor of the Roanoke Beacon who helped return the Washington County newspaper to local ownership, died after a long illness last night, Thursday, March 12, at ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville. She was 67.

Wayt devoted much of her career to community journalism. She became publisher of the Roanoke Beacon in January 2005 and led the paper for more than two decades.

On Jan. 1, 2018, Wayt and her husband, Mark, purchased the newspaper, bringing it back under local ownership after nearly 30 years.

Under her leadership, the Roanoke Beacon continued its longstanding mission of covering the people, government and events of Washington County.

“With a firm foundation provided by our founders and the dedicated newspapermen that followed, and an unchanging belief that we are caretakers of a public institution, The Beacon staff continues to compile and distribute news, views and happenings of Washington County every Wednesday,” Wayt once said.

Before moving to North Carolina, Wayt served as general manager of the Brown County Democrat in Nashville, Indiana, from 1988 to 2002.

By all accounts, Mary was passionate about community journalism and dedicated to telling people’s stories from near and far across Washington County and the region. Under Wayt’s leadership, the Roanoke Beacon won many North Carolina Press Association awards. For example, in 2015, the North Carolina Press Association awarded the Roanoke Beacon 1st place for General Excellence. 

NCCPA’ Judges said — Fiesty and newsy. I enjoyed the coverage of the school board meeting, accompanied by probing editorial columns by the publisher/editor. It’s all lively.

Funeral arrangements are pending. 

That same year, Wayt won third place honors for her profile feature entitled “Pops” with judges saying, “Readers certainly must have appreciated this review of the life of a gentle man seen by many in his community as the peanut man but perhaps not as well known during life as he was after his passing.”

In 2016, NCPA awarded the Roanoke Beacon Best in Show — Ad Contest — for the annual church tab Celebrate Faith, with judges saying, “This piece gives most readers an opportunity to find a home for their faith. Well done.” In 2013, a well stacked Memorial Day ad won top honors too.

In recent days, my wife Nicole and I spoke to Mark – the couple had been married nearly 50 years. He loved her dearly. Mark, your family is in our prayers, as is the Beacon’s staff.

Friday morning, as news spread throughout the community, I reached out to folks who know Mary.  

Washington County Commissioner, Roper Fire Chief and civic leader John Spruill recalls Wayt as a dedicated journalist whose work helped keep the community informed and local government accountable.

“Mrs. Wayt dedicated many years to informing and connecting the citizens of Washington County through her work in local journalism,” Spruill said in a statement. “Along with her husband Mark, she purchased the Roanoke Beacon in 2018, returning the historic newspaper to local ownership and continuing its long tradition of community reporting.”

Spruill said he came to know Wayt during his time serving on the county board and respected her professionalism and commitment to covering local issues.

“As a County Commissioner, I had the pleasure of knowing Mrs. Wayt for several years,” Spruill said. “She was always professional, thoughtful, and deeply committed to ensuring the people of Washington County were informed about the decisions and issues affecting their community. Her reporting helped keep local government transparent and connected to the citizens we serve.”

According to Spruill, Wayt understood the broader role that a community newspaper plays in preserving local history.

“Local newspapers like the Roanoke Beacon are the historical record of our communities, and Mary understood the responsibility that came with that role,” he said. “Week after week, she worked to capture the stories, events, and challenges of our county so that future generations would know the history of the place we call home.”

Spruill said Wayt’s impact on the community will endure.

“Mary Wayt’s dedication to community journalism and her care for Washington County will not be forgotten,” he said. “She leaves behind a legacy of service to our community and to the important principle that an informed public strengthens our democracy.”

“On behalf of Washington County, I extend my deepest condolences to her husband Mark, her family, the staff of the Roanoke Beacon, and the many readers whose lives she touched through her work,” Spruill added.

Mayor Crystal Davis said Wayt was someone who deeply cared about her community and the people who served it.

“Mary Wayt cared deeply about this community and she cared about the people who served it,” Davis said.

Davis said Wayt took a personal interest in encouraging her when she first entered public office after winning a seat on the Plymouth Town Council.

“When I first won my council seat she called me many evenings to give me advice, often chastising me but always out of love,” Davis said.

According to Davis, Wayt believed in her potential and often shared her thoughts candidly.

“She wanted me to do well and she told me that my toughness and my way with words reminded her of herself,” Davis said.

Davis said Wayt’s guidance and honesty left a lasting impression.

“I will always remember her guidance, her candor, and the way she supported those she cared about,” Davis said.

Plymouth Town Councilman Jerry Rhodes, a former Washington County manager, said Wayt’s reporting reflected both fairness and a deep understanding of the area she covered.

“I knew Mary for many years in her career with the Roanoke Beacon. I always thought she was very insightful and fair with her reporting,” Rhodes said.

Rhodes said Wayt possessed a strong grasp of local issues and the community she served.

“Mary had extensive knowledge about our town and community which to her understanding of our town,” he said.

He added that her work played an important role in documenting local events and informing residents.

“Yes. In my opinion, her reporting was important in keeping our community informed on all aspects of local occurrences and every day life,” Rhodes said. “I had great respect for her and her work.”

Former North Carolina Sen. Bob Steinburg described Wayt as a fair and compassionate voice in local journalism.

“I loved Mary,” Steinburg said. “First met her in 2010 when I asked her to consider and she accepted running my weekly newspaper column, ‘A Conservatives Viewpoint,’ in the Roanoke Beacon.”

Steinburg said Wayt was known for her accessibility and fairness during his years representing Washington County.

“Mary was always fair and honest and cared a great deal about her family and her community,” he said. “Always fair!! I loved Mary Wayt and am so very sorry to hear of her passing.”

Washington County Magistrate Micki Dail added, “Mary was a treasure for our town and county. She was a wealth of information, truly cared about this place and was a champion for doing things right.” 

If folks want to send me a comment about Mary’s life to add to the article, email them to mileslayton1969@gmail.com