Ralph Wayne Kanipe, 86, died on October 5, 2025, in Hendersonville, North Carolina surrounded by loved ones after a hard-fought battle with vascular dementia. He was born on September 6, 1939, in Spartanburg, South Carolina to the late Ralph Odell Kanipe and the late Hazel Fann Kanipe. He attended The Citadel and The University of South Carolina before secretly marrying his wife, Ann Satterfield Kanipe, on February 14, 1958. They were able to keep the marriage a secret for a year while she attended Columbia College. They recently celebrated 68 beautiful years of marriage together.
Wayne was a band member with both the Hi Lites and The Barons. These bands frequently played at The Pavilion in Myrtle Beach, and they also cut a successful record album called Beach Baby. He eventually took a job with Duke Power Company in Greenville, SC. where he and Ann started a family. After a short career with Duke Power, Wayne followed his passion for music and began a successful career in the music industry which took the family back to Columbia. He had a very successful career as the vice president building a chain of retail music stores spanning the southeast. Wayne loved to play the piano and could play almost any song by ear if you could hum the first few notes. They eventually settled in Hendersonville, NC. He was a 50 + Year member of The Oasis Shriners and Masonic Lodge. A devoted Christian and member of St. John in the Wilderness Episcopal Church in Flat Rock, NC. He will be remembered for instilling the importance of faith and prayer in his family and friends, for his strong Republican values, his huge gift to find humor in most situations and his loyalty to the South Carolina Gamecocks. His grandchildren will certainly remember his favorite quote “If you can dream it, and believe it, you can achieve it”.
He is survived by his wife Ann Satterfield Kanipe; his son Randolph Wayne Kanipe (Marika) and their two children Rebekah Kanipe and James Kanipe; his son Christopher Rhett Kanipe (Kelly) and their four children, Brenna Garber, Lauren Kanipe, Grayson Garber, Rhett Kanipe and Wayne’s great-granddaughter Dayton Kanipe; his son Thomas Neal Kanipe (Heather) and their two children Alex Kanipe and Will Kanipe; He was a loved Poppee that created wonderful memories for his grandchildren! He also leaves behind his loving Boston Terrier, Starr.
The family expresses their sincere appreciation and gratitude to Dee Dee Moorehead for her unwavering love and support for Wayne and Ann, as well as the nurses and staff of Four Seasons Hospice.
Funeral Services will be at 1:00 PM Wednesday, October 15, 2025 at St. John in the Wilderness Flat Rock, North Carolina. Burial will be at 11:00 AM on Thursday, October 16th at Greenlawn Memorial Garden in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to Shriners Children’s Hospital Greenville, South Carolina, Four Seasons Hospice in Hendersonville, North Carolina or St John in the Wilderness Episcopal Church, Flat Rock, North Carolina.
“Don’t cry because it is over, smile because it happened” – Dr. Seuss
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.jacksonfuneralservice.com or C/O Jackson Funeral Service 1101 Greenville Hwy Hendersonville, NC 28792. Please include the name of the deceased on the condolence.