Woodrow Payne

Family-Placed Death Notice

PAYNE, Woodrow WOODROW WILSON PAYNE Woodrow Wilson Payne, 96, passed away on December 20, 2010. Born in Atlanta August 6, 1914, he was the son of the late James Alfred Payne and Estelle Harbuck Payne of Atlanta. He was a graduate of Marist College and University, now known as Marist High School, where he won a football and basketball scholarship. He attended the University of Georgia Night School and married his wife of 69 years, Betty Marie Landis, in 1941. When the US entered WWII, Mr. Payne joined the Navy, and served on the Hilary P. Jones, a Benson class destroyer assigned to the Mediterranean, the Atlantic and later the Pacific...he often told his children that Mt. Vesuvius was erupting when the ship was in the harbor at Naples, Italy and how beautiful it was to see the lava flowing into the sea; his ship arrived in Tokyo Bay during the surrender ceremony that ended WWII. Once discharged from the service, he refused to leave the USA again, saying that he had seen enough of the world when he was in the Navy, but he did enjoy traveling within the country to take his family to the beach, and to visit friends and family in other states. Mr. Payne retired from John Deere in 1977 following a 36 year career of working with people who would be his lifelong friends. He continued to see those friends through monthly luncheons held by the John Deere retirement organization called the Deerelicks. The very best part of retirement was that it gave him time to expand his knowledge of plants and to work in his garden. His specialty was azaleas and their propagation; first from cuttings, then from seeds. He also enjoyed working in his tool shop and maintained his home and yard until he was nearly 90 years old. On his 95th birthday he surprised family members by repeating from memory two poems, "The Face on the Barroom Floor", by Hugh D'Arcy and "Trees" by Joyce Kilmer. He is survived by his wife, three children and their families: Barbara Payne Harkey and Robert S. Harkey, their daughter, Elizabeth McKenzie Harkey; James Earle Payne and Ginger Burnsed Payne of Claxton, Georgia, and their children Katherine Payne Ramsey and her husband Jody Shannon Ramsey, Jeffrey A. Payne and Michael T. Payne and his wife Mollie McDonald Payne; Michael Lee Payne and his wife Judy Wendt Payne of Snellville, Georgia, and their children Andrew Lee Payne and daughter Kelly Elizabeth Payne; and 6 great grandchildren. He is also survived by his nephew and nieces, Charles C. Rice, Jr., Mary Frances Rice and Betty Anne Rice Tolbert and her husband Ernest A. Tolbert. Mr. Payne was the youngest and last surviving of eight children. His three brothers: the late Thomas L. Payne, James A. Payne, Jr. and Frank L. Payne; his four sisters: the late Bessie Payne Rice, Louise Payne Kay, Annabelle Payne McWhite, and Jewel Payne Lee. Mr. Payne was a founding member of McElroy Memorial Presbyterian Church where he served both as a Deacon and an Elder until it closed its doors in the 1980's. He was a member of Peachtree Presbyterian Church. The family will receive friends from 5:30 to 6:30 at Oglethorpe Hill Chapel, Wed. December 22 and a funeral service will be held there at 11 a.m. Thursday, December 23. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice Atlanta, 1244 Park Vista Dr. N.E. Atlanta, Ga. 30319.