Born on Sept. 4, 1943, in Suffolk, Wayland Thomas Pond III passed away on Aug. 28, 2018. A lifelong resident of Suffolk, Wayland was the son of the late Mary Herring and Wayland Thomas Pond Jr. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Gisberta Cornelia Gerarda Pond-deVisser, and his twin sister, Katherine Pond Beneke.

Wayland is survived by his wife, Kathryn Andersen Pond; sons, Wayland Thomas Pond IV and wife, Sarah, of Arlington; Jacobus Christiaan Pond and wife, Cristin, of Suffolk; and by Kathryn’s children Stephen Warren Wheeler and wife, Amy, of Suffolk, and Susan Wheeler Tyler, of Newport, R.I.; grandchildren Claire Cornelia Pond, Eleanor Grace Pond, Jacobus Christiaan Pond Jr., Louise Caroline Wheeler, James Edward Tyler and Paloma Louise Tyler; sisters, Mary Lawrence Harrell and husband, John, and Eliza Rainey, and husband, Jim; brother-in-law, John Beneke and wife, Gwynne; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family and friends.

Wayland graduated from Staunton Military Academy and Elon College. He served in the Army National Guard. He was the owner and president of Suffolk Energies Inc. and Griffin Oil and Propane. Wayland was an active member of West End Baptist Church, serving on the Temple Committee, Memorial Trust and Board of Deacons. He was a founding member of the Nansemond River Duck Club, past president and longstanding member of the Suffolk Rotary Club, former chairman of Suffolk Ducks Unlimited and district chairman of Virginia Ducks Unlimited, and was instrumental in establishing the Suffolk Youth Athletic Association.

Wayland was an avid outdoorsman, attuned to the beauty of nature and appreciative of all it offered. He loved boating, fishing, hunting, tennis and gardening. Most of all, he loved spending time with his family and friends.

A funeral to celebrate Wayland’s life will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018, by the Rev. Dr. Chester Brown and the Rev. T. Floyd Irby at West End Baptist Church, with a reception to follow at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts. A private burial will be held at Cedar Hill Cemetery. The family will receive friends at West End Baptist Church, 105 James Ave., Suffolk, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 3, 2018. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to West End Baptist Church Memorial Fund or a charity of one’s choice. R.W. Baker and Co. Funeral Home and Crematory is handling arrangements. Condolences may be registered at RWBakerFH.com.