John Delano Payne Sr.

John Delano

Payne Sr.

Fairhope

A private memorial service was held in honor of John Delano Payne Sr., 67, at Crossroads Methodist Church Cemetery, October 23, 2010. John died May 7, 2010, at his home in Fairhope with his son and his sister at his side. John was born April 20, 1943, in San Diego County, California, the eldest of three children, to Grady Wilson Payne and Ramona Inez Utley Payne. He was preceded in death by his parents and his daughter, Briget Mary Payne.

Survivors include son, John Delano Payne Jr. (Alice) of Huntington Beach, Calif.; daughter, Jennifer Ann Payne of London, England; brother, Jan Wilson Payne (Kathryn) of Julian, Calif.; sister, Phyllis Payne Benson (David) of Danville; grandsons, Zachary John Payne and Brenden Luke Payne of Huntington Beach, Calif.; nephew, Dr. Todd Wilson Payne (Karen) of Sonoma, Calif.; nieces, Kelly Diven and Jill Diven of Decatur; and a host of other relatives. His memory is also cherished by next door neighbor, Mary Lemoine, of Fairhope.

After serving in the U.S. Army in Frankfurt, Germany, John followed in his father's footsteps to work at Rohr Corp. in Chula Vista, Calif. John was transferred to Fairhope, then to Zurich, Switzerland, where he was European Representative for Rohr International. With a team of an engineer, mechanic and translator, he traveled around the world instructing others in aircraft engine repair. John was a great storyteller and loved sharing stories of his adventures. Upon retirement, John moved to San Diego. His son, John, and brother, Jan, accompanied him on a memorable cross-country final trip back to Fairhope.

John possessed a wry sense of humor, right up to the end of his life. Everyone who met him took an immediate liking to him. He never met a stranger. John was so proud of his children and grandchildren and loved them deeply. He is greatly missed by all who knew him.

This obituary was originally published in the Decatur Daily.