Family, friends and co-workers gathered at Rock Creek Sports Complex last Tuesday to pay tribute to Wayne Elledge, who died July 19 at the age of 66.

Elledge, who was serving as Dawson County’s building inspector at the time of his death, was one of over a dozen county employees who built a walkway and bridge connecting the park with the Dawson County Humane Society.

“Wayne was in his element here with this bridge project,” said close friend and colleague Robby Irvin at the dedication ceremony.

“The days we built it, you could see in his eyes he was having fun. The last day we were all together he was really proud to have been a part of this,” Irvin said.

The group, which built the bridge as a community project for a management development course, met last week to dedicate the bridge in Elledge’s honor.

“This bridge meant so much to Wayne,” said his wife Pam Elledge. “He really enjoyed building this bridge. He came home at night telling me about the fun he had. It was a wonderful thing. It brought a smile to his face and a lot of joy to his heart, and dedicating the bridge to him is great. He was a great man, and he deserved it.”

E-mail Michele Hester at michele@dawsonnews.com.