Retiring TGH chaplain leaves legacy of loving care

Wayne Maberry is retiring from Tampa General Hospital after 24 years of service as a chaplain.

"Absolutely rewarding work,” he said. “There's nothing better than with patients and families being invited into their lives during a crisis." 

Maberry has been the director of spiritual health and education at TGH for the last five years. 

"When I first started there were about 400 patients on an average day and we are clearly up to a thousand many days during the year now," Maberry explained. 

He said his job is to comfort patients and families in their time of crisis. 

"I want them to know that they are not alone,” Maberry said. “To really see that somebody has entered into their world as closely as someone can at a terrible time." 

Wendi Goodson Celerin works with Maberry. She said he brings calm in stormy situations.

"He has the right answers, right words, the comfort, the touch, just a loving person,” Celerin said. “Been a joy to have him here for sure and going to definitely miss him.” 

“We're trying to help them find the strength, that is in their own faith, too fine the resources that are inside them," said Maberry.

Maberry leaves a legacy of loving care to thousands of patients and their love ones in their time of need. Maberry is looking forward to spending time with his family.