Ricky Lawrence Payne

2007 - 2023

Ricky Lawrence Payne, 15, of Mount Carmel, passed away Thursday, April 6, 2023, at home.

He was born May 1, 2007, in Pottsville, a son of Brent and Kristie Payne.

Ricky was a ninth grade student at Mount Carmel Area High School, but previously attended North Schuylkill and Towanda Area school districts.

He loved football, lacrosse and wrestling. He was scheduled to wrestle on April 23 in Bloomsburg to qualify for the Eastern Nationals. He was always ready to wrestle anyone, no matter the age or weight.

You could always find Ricky dancing to any beat, it didn't matter what kind of music. He loved making people smile, and his love for family and friends was unending. He made many friends in his short 15 years on this Earth. He referred to many of them as his brothers and sisters from all of his sports teams. He was a talker and jokester at school, which made his friends laugh, but his teachers not so much. Ricky will be missed by so many. He was looking forward to turning 16 in just a few weeks because he wanted his driver's license so badly.

Ricky worked at Knoebels. He was so proud of his first job and enjoyed working with his park family.

He was preceded in death by his grandfather, Richard VanDeMark; great-grandfather, Willis Jones; and great-grandparents, Lawrence and Marjorie Weaver.

In addition to his parents, Ricky is survived by two brothers, Garrett VanDeMark and fiancée, Kelsey, of Philadelphia, and Christopher Payne, of Mount Carmel; maternal grandparents, James and wife, Beverly Lake, of Towanda; paternal grandmother, Bette Weaver, of Towanda; paternal grandfather, Terry Payne, of Rochester, N.Y.; great-grandmother, Theresa Jones, of English Center, Pa.; two uncles, Richard and wife, Megan VanDeMark, of Rome, Pa., and Joshua and wife, Kirstie Lake, of Athens; and aunt, Cheyenne and wife, Tiffany VanDeMark, of Bradford, Pa.

A viewing will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 12, at Joseph J. Stutz Inc. Funeral Home, 40 N. Market St., Mount Carmel, with a service at 6 p.m. A memorial lantern release will be held promptly at 8 p.m. at the MCA High School soccer fields. A viewing will also be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Thursday, April 13, at Maryott-Bowen Funeral Home, 217 York Ave., Towanda. Graveside services and burial will be made at 10 a.m. Friday, April 14, in Bradford County Memorial Park. The family requests that memorial contributions be made in Ricky's name to any of the following: Mount Carmel Area Wrestling Boosters, North Schuylkill Wrestling Boosters or Towanda Wrestling Boosters. Buffington-Reed Funeral Home Inc., Valley View, is in charge of arrangements.