Walter Wade Givens

January 16, 1967 - July 2, 2010
Walter Wade Givens

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Walter Wade Givens, 43, of Hendersonville, died Friday, July 2, from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. Born in Fort Knox, KY, he was a son of Linda Thompson Cantrell of Hendersonville and the late Joseph Cantrell. He lived most of his life in Henderson County, and was a graduate of West Hendersonville High School. He was a partner in the operation of Wadeís Diner in Averyís Creek. He was a member of Beulah Baptist Church. In addition to his father, he was preceded in death by his nephew, Jonathan Luke Carmichael III.

Surviving, in addition to his mother, is his daughter, Cloe Dallis Givens; two brothers, Michael Hastings and his wife Denise of Hendersonville and Dean Givens and his wife Renee of Hendersonville; two step-brothers, Joe Cantrell and his wife Tammie of Hendersonville and Tommy Ligan of Hendersonville; two step-sisters, Bridgette Cantrell and her husband James Hutcherson of Hendersonville and Donna Phiffer of Hendersonville; his nieces and nephews, Chelsea, Kourtney and Savannah Givens, Samantha Cantrell, Joey Hastings, Matthew Givens, Geoffrey Cantrell, Stephen and Joshua Phiffer and Jordan Davis.


Service

Tuesday, July 6, 2010
12:00 AM

Beulah Baptist Church - Directions
7088 Willow Road
Hendersonville, NC 28792

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  • July 06, 2010
    Karen Austin & Wanda Clayton says:
    We miss you already, our thoughts prayers and best wishes to your family. My heart is with you Bridgett.

  • July 06, 2010
    Jennifer Michelle Garren says:
    My Dear Friend, Wade, I am so stricken with intense emotion at the news of your untimely death that I cannot compose myself enough to be present at the visitation or the funeral. Another real reason that I just cannot make myself go, Wade, is that I refuse to remember you any other way than full of life and smiling your huge smile, making everyone laugh. I know you understand that my absence during these rituals is a physical absence only, just as your final absence from those of us who remain here on earth is only physical as wellÖ I want you to know how much you touched my life. I want to tell you so many thingsÖthat I still have the stuffed animal, a grey seal, that you gave me for my 24th (or was it my 25th?) birthday. You, Wade, were the only one to bring me a gift, while the other classmates in attendance brought beer. We were at that age when birthday parties were becoming something altogether different from our childhood parties. Our parents werenít throwing the parties anymore. We threw them ourselves, while we prayed anxiously that our parents did NOT come home early from their vacations, and that the cops did NOT show up! I want you thank you for taking me on that amazing cruise to the Bahamas along with four other good friends. It was a once in a lifetime experience for me and I thank you for giving me that experience. I will never forget how you and Greg convinced the baggage handlers that our bicycles were LUGGAGE! That argument saved all six of us a good deal of money which would otherwise have been spent on cab fare as we traversed the island in search of our many adventures. I want to tell you how special and important you always made me feel when I came into McGuffeyís Restaurant, and later, Fatz CafÈ in Hendersonville with a group of friends or even if by myself. As a manager at Fatz, you always came right up to me and gave me a hug and treated me like I was the Queen of England ordering an appetizer, a drink, or a meal. You were the best, Wade. I remember one day I walked into Fatz CafÈ and your hair had been cut. Well, thatís really an understatement! Your gorgeous long, long hair was gone!! You explained to me that you had chosen to cut your hair and donate it to survivors of cancer, for the purpose of constructing human hair wigs. I was impressed by you then, but not really surprised. The entire time I had known you, you were always thinking about others. I want you to know also what a joy and a privilege it was just a few short years ago, to offer you a job as manager of my familyís Subway restaurant in Laurel Park. You had grown tired of working at Fatz, and welcomed a change. You helped us build up a newly established business there. In spite of all your restaurant experience, I still say that your personal charm was the greatest gift you brought to the table. It was always a bright spot in my day whenever I needed to call you with a work-related question, and you would say to me something like: ìwell, hello, sunshine, what can I do for you today?î When this proved not to be the job for you, you moved on to bigger and better things, and my heart rejoices that you finally partnered to get your OWN restaurant, ìWadeís Diner!î Oh, how I wish you were still here, so that I could go sit down and watch you charm all those customers with the charm, warmth and sincerity that was pure WADE GIVENS. You had to leave us too soon, Wade. I know the Father called your name, and who can argue? But if I had my way, I would be saying all of this to your sweet face instead of in your guest book at your funeral. One last thing Wade, I want you to know. If there is anything I can do for your daughter, you just let me know and I will do it. I want to give Cloe this stuffed grey seal one day and tell her all about what a great friend her daddy was to me. I want for not just your daughter Cloe, but for the world to know that WE are one less wonderful human being now that Walter Wade Givens has passed on to the next Great Adventure that awaits us all. If there is anything we all can learn from having known Wade, I think it would be simply this: enjoy your life, smile often, and love others more that yourself, and give freely what you have because it is not yours to keep. As we are reminded again by his death, we do not even own our bodies; much less do we own our material possessions. Give freely, Love freely, and Follow your dreams. My friend, Wade Givens did. My Friend, Wade, Enjoy the Other Side of Eternity. On This Side, You Will Be Missed. Lovingly, Jennifer Michelle Garren

  • July 06, 2010
    Kelly Lawson says:
    You will be missed.

  • July 06, 2010
    Kim Smeltzer says:
    Wade will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Our prayers are with his family at this difficult time. Sincerely Kim Smeltzer

  • July 06, 2010
    Michele Simpson says:
    I am so deeply sorry for the loss of such a kind man. His family meant everything to him. You never saw Wade that he didn't have a smile on his face and made sure everyone around him did, too. What a loss for us all.