Photo courtesy of Heritage Funeral Home and Cremation Services - Sioux Falls
Dec 6, 1926 - Mar 10, 2026 (Age 99)
What a hoot Bill was...always had funny and clever quips and comebacks. Oh, the Okiboji antics over the years would fill a book...RIP Bill.
Pat (Quinn) Fletcher
March 16, 2026 | Zephyrhills, FL | Friend
Learned a lot about history of the Sioux Falls area visiting with Bill. My favorite thing to do for him was buy Storz beer treasures from thrift stores and sales at one of his favorite destinations lake Okoboji Iowa. My mother Carole Ryden was a good friend of his and my grandfather David H Smith a writer for the Argus Leader newspaper too. My grandfather wrote the stories and Bill took the pictures. What a duo that must of been for Sioux Falls residents.
James Ysbrand
March 16, 2026 | Sioux Falls, SD | Friend
What a loss :( So grateful to have known him for the brief time I did at Royal Oak. Always fun to get a call from him and hear his stories. Prayers to the family
Alesia Nelson
March 14, 2026 | Sioux Falls | Acquaintance
Bill was living at Royal Oak when my mom was also living there. He would check in with her quite often and visit. Always friendly and the gentleman we always enjoyed his visits and photo stories. RIP
Sandy Schaefer
March 14, 2026 | Sioux Falls, SD | Acquaintance
Bill Pay was a great friend that was always a joy to visit with. Our paths crossed many times when I was on radio and television in Sioux Falls. I will always remember many special moments when we would be together at various events. Rest in peace, my friend.
Denny Oviatt
March 14, 2026 | Scottsdale, AZ | Friend
Bill was a regular at Lewis Drug SG developing his photos. We enjoyed him, he was quite a character. We would tease him saying “Mr Pay is in the building “. Might not have been ‘ Elvis’. But was well know in Sioux Falls, he will be missed.
Kathy Kirkpatrick
March 13, 2026 | Sioux Falls, SD | Acquaintance
Bill took photos when Barbara Bush visited the Sioux Falls Ronald McDonald House many years ago and I still have this photo in my home office . We also crossed paths when he was taking photos at the annual Game Feed.Bill was one of a kind. Always calm, professional, with a dry wit. I admired him, as so many others did.
Shelley Hanisch
March 13, 2026 | Sioux Falls, South Dakota | Acquaintance
RIP Bill. To a life well lived.
Mike Brzica
March 13, 2026 | Sioux Falls, SD | Friend
William Howard Pay of Sioux Falls, SD passed away at Palisades Healthcare Center in Garretson, SD on March 10, 2026, at the age of 99.
The youngest son of three brothers, William Howard Pay (Bill Pay) was born to Hazel E Pay (Haering) and Howard H Pay on December 6, 1926, in Sioux Falls SD. As a boy he attended Longfellow Elementary, then Washington High School going on to attend the University of South Dakota. After attending USD, Bill married Janice A Shaw of Sioux Falls. Through this marriage they had three children.
Bill made a lifelong career as a photographer in Sioux Falls. After attending USD, he worked for Harold Hansen before starting his own business. For many years, he owned and operated a camera store and photo processing plant in the middle of the newly built Southway Shopping Center on South Minnesota Avenue. The large neon sign ‘Bill Pay Camera’ was seen toward what was at that time the South Edge of the City along Minnesota.
From the late 1940s to the 2000s, Bill was known as a photographer; he became known for his iconic photos of Sioux Falls. These photographs captured events such as the Queen Bee Mill fire, the 1969 floods, and photos of downtown Sioux Falls prominent building landmarks like the State Theater. Many of those photos can be seen in various businesses throughout the city. Various media outlets have done stories on his observations and work throughout his life.
Never transitioning to digital, Bill’s bread and butter was his work doing commercial, wedding, and sport team photography using film. Early on he was occasionally contracted by the police department to take accident and crime scene photos. He would take aerial photos the old way by opening a window on a Cessna and sticking his head and camera out in the wind to take a shot. He was sought out to take photos at prominent events across the city. Once such photo is of a visit from Vice President Nixon, with Governor Joe Foss, Senator Mundt, and Mayor Wheeldon. He always made a habit of either signing and/or stamping the back of his pictures to help generate future business. There are likely many old wedding pictures or sports team pictures in homes where he was the photographer.
Over his life Bill was a world traveler. After one notable trip to Cuba, he sent a thank you telegram to the new leader Fidel Castro. Surprisingly, he did receive a response from Fidel himself. Of all the places he visited at home and abroad he most enjoyed going to Lake Okoboji. He shared a family cabin there for many years until the early 1970s. In his later years, he would make a point to go there at least once a year, even if it meant only a day trip.
Always a socialite Bill made a habit of attending happy hour, usually more than once a week at several establishments in the city, most notably JJ’s on 57th who always had Bill’s favorite beer ready for him, or on a Wednesday with another group. He was a longtime member of the El Riad Shrine, playing the horn in the Oriental Band when they let him put his reed in. He maintained a relationship with fellow Shriners almost until his passing by attending the mostly monthly Jesters dinners.
Bill is survived by his Daughter Lori Watson, Belgrade MT, Son Jeffrey Pay (Rachel), Sioux Falls, Daughter In Law Margaret Pay of Vacaville CA, Grandchildren Cameron Pay (Jessica), Vacaville, CA; Brit Watson, Bozeman, MT; Lyndsey Peck (Ben), Sioux Falls; Jonathan Pay, Baltic SD; and three great granddaughters, Atley, Mia, and Ashlynn. He was proceeded in death by his Parents, his son Stephen, Brothers Asher and Richard. After his marriage he shared two special relationships with Taffy Bergeson (deceased) and Carole Ryden, Pheonix AZ.
The family would like to acknowledge and thank the staff at Palisades Healthcare Center in Garretson SD who helped care for him in his last couple of years. Special thanks to all of his friends who would come to Garretson to drive him to social gatherings and happy hours in his final years. This truly meant a great deal to him.
Service will be at Heritage Funeral Home on Friday, April 24, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. Family will be present for visitation at Heritage Funeral Home on Thursday, April 23, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. with a Masonic service at 5:00 p.m.
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