Wayne C. Countryman, a former Baltimore Sun copy editor, died Tuesday of complications from gastrointestinal disease at his Roland Park home.

He was 60.

The son of Richard Countryman, an electronics technician, and Marilyn Countryman, a medical records secretary, Wayne Charles Countryman was born and raised in Rome, N.Y., and graduated in 1974 from the Rome Free Academy.

After earning a bachelor's degree in journalism and political science in 1978 from George Washington University, he began his career working for the Bristol Herald Courier in Bristol, Va.

From 1984 to 1989, Mr. Countryman was a city desk copy editor for the Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

He then joined the staff of The Roanoke Times in Roanoke, Va., as a copy editor, and worked there until joining the staff of The Sun in 1998.

His copy editing duties at The Sun included working on the paper's metropolitan and real estate sections.

In 2004, he was named senior editor of AmericanStyle and NICHE magazines, both Baltimore publications.

From 2008 to 2012, he was an assistant editor at The Daily Record, editing legal coverage, special sections, freelance and wire copy for print and the website and writing blog posts.

Mr. Countryman worked as an associate editor of the Baltimore Business Journal from 2012 to 2013, then became a freelance editor, writer, proofreader and researcher for publications and firms, including the Congressional Quarterly, Bmoremedia.com, Baltimore City Paper and Hogan Lovells US LLP, a Baltimore law firm.

At the time of his death, he was working as a copy editor for The Daily Beast.

Mr. Countryman lived on West University Parkway in the Chadford Apartments. He was a charter member of the American Copy Editors Society and state press associations.

He enjoyed music of all types, family members said, as well as photography, travel and reading.

Plans for services for Mr. Countryman are incomplete.

In addition to his mother, who lives in Rome, N.Y., he is survived by a brother, Gregg Countryman of Indian Trail, N.C.; two sisters, Bonita Katsur of Wasilla, Alaska, and Sheila Thompson of Solvang, Calif.; and several nieces and nephews.

— Frederick N. Rasmussen