Wayne Taylor Warnecke, age 67, passed away peacefully on Tuesday October 6th at 11:58 am in Mount Kisco, NY, after a four-plus year struggle with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Wayne was born on November 9, 1958, in Bronxville, NY, to Warren and Mildred (nee Lucks) Warnecke. He is survived by his devoted wife Vaneese Y. Thomas, sister Laurie Morrison (Glenn), niece Amy Morrison, and sister-in-law Carla Thomas. His older sister, Wendy, predeceased him in May 2026.Born to be a drummer, Wayne asked for his first drum kit when he was nine years old. There were so many drummers who were raised in the Village of Mamaroneck, NY, that Wayne would joke there must have been something in the water. His Rye Neck High School rock band, Friction, was an outgrowth of Wayne’s love for music. Though drumming was his first love, Friction needed a guitarist, so Wayne acquiesced. Wayne’s family supported his musical interests so strongly that Friction used to rehearse in their living room. He made lifelong friendships with his bandmates, sustaining a strong bond for over 50 years. On September 14, 2025, Friction reunited for a show at the Emelin Theatre in Mamaroneck, much to Wayne’s delight.The son of avid sailors, Wayne grew up spending summers on Long Island Sound, swimming off the family boat, aptly named “Recess.” He and his father, a physics teacher, also loved to stargaze together. This piqued an interest in science fiction and turned the family into loyal watchers of “Star Trek” and “The Twilight Zone.” Wayne also liked to tinker with electronic equipment at an early age, although he didn’t know at the time that audio engineering would become his career. His friend and neighbor, Bill Orner, shared the love of fiddling around with electronic gadgets. Together, they were invited into the recording world by Ron Carran, Bill’s elementary school teacher and owner of Minot Sound Studios, in White Plains, NY. Wayne took pride in the fact that Bill wired Minot Sound when Bill was only 11 years old!

Wayne convinced his parents that a traditional college education was not for him, so he found the only school in the United States at the time to focus on sound engineering: The Institute of Audio Research (IAR) in Manhattan. But Wayne always said that he learned more at Minot, under the tutelage of renowned engineer Ray Bardani, than during his two years at IAR.In 1981, Wayne was hired at Minot Sound, first as a tape copier and gofer, though he didn’t mind the menial labor and thought the work was magic. He then went on to engineer and assist on recordings by jazz pianist Bob James, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Chaka Khan, singer-songwriter Grace Potter, drummer Lenny White and the legendary Luther Vandross, among others.In 1983, Wayne and Vaneese began co-writing songs with Ernie Poccia at Minot. By 1987 they left Minot Sound to start PTW, their production company and recording studio in Mamaroneck. Wayne and Vaneese bonded over songwriting, and Wayne and Ernie later produced her first album. Eventually, Wayne and Vaneese started their own record label, Segue Records, and went on to produce and record many gold and platinum records. As Vaneese and Wayne’s professional relationship grew, so did their personal relationship, and they were married in 1989. Since that time the couple produced 10 additional albums, culminating with their final album together, Window to My Soul, released in September 2026.Wayne loved physics and earnestly kept up with the field, fascinated by the evolving strides being made. Wayne suffered no fools but was generous in spirit and kind to all. He was the embodiment of “walking softly on sacred ground,” so it’s no surprise that his music studio was called “Peaceful Waters.” In his quiet and understated way, Wayne had a profound influence on all those who met and worked with him.Outside of work, Wayne had a weekly tennis game with friends. During the winter, he joined his sister Laurie’s paddle tennis group, providing on-court commentary and antics and sipping “whiskey” (water) between games.

In July 2022, Wayne was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, a neurological disorder that causes the degeneration of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. In facing this incurable disease, Wayne said, “It was way out of the blue, something nobody ever expects. You spend your life trying to avoid cancer and heart disease, then you get something like you never, ever thought of. After the first year of going through this, I’ve come to the conclusion I’d much rather be grateful for everything I’ve gotten in my life than be bitter.”

Despite being confined to a wheelchair and a breathing machine, Wayne never lost his dry sense of humor or his ability to uplift the legions of friends who came to visit. As ALS took its toll, Wayne never wavered in fighting the good fight and maintained an unflinching positive attitude that astounded those who knew him well.

Even with the debilitating struggles of having ALS, Wayne was able to spearhead two successful fundraisers for ALS United of Greater New York. The first, Musicians United for ALS: A Night for Wayne Warnecke,” was held on April 15, 2025, at Purchase College. Celebrated arranger-composer-producer Rob Mathes, who had worked extensively with Wayne, served as music director. He called Wayne “One of the most gifted and kindest humans on the planet and a miraculous patient. All of his friends and musician colleagues wanted to come together to honor him and help fight this disease.” A second benefit concert at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY, MC’d by Paul Shaffer and John Battiloro, was performed on April 13, 2026. Both concerts were outpourings of love for the impact Wayne had on hundreds of people’s lives.

Fittingly, there will be a Celebration of Life on Wayne’s birthday, Monday, November 9, 2026, at 1:00 pm at First United Methodist Church, 42 Cross Road, Stamford, CT 06905.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Wayne’s name to ALS United of Greater NY (ALS-NY.org).