Margaret "Alice" Payne

1941 - 2025

Margaret "Alice" Wells Payne, 84 of Fernandina Beach, Florida passed away peacefully on September 14th, 2025 with her loving husband by her side.
Born on August 31, 1941 in Union, Mississippi to the late Charles and Maynell Wells. She grew up in Mobile, Alabama and graduated from Pensacola High School in 1959. It was in Pensacola where she met the love of her life Joel Payne while he was attending flight school for the United States Navy and they married in 1966. After living briefly in Hawaii and Japan they settled in Mandeville, Louisiana and Marietta, Georgia before retiring to Fernandina Beach, Florida.
Aside from raising her two sons, she was active in her community, involved with United Methodist Women, Presbyterian Women's Circles and PEO.
In her free time, she enjoyed reading, singing in the church choir, volunteering at the Amelia Community Theatre and traveling. One of her favorite destinations was Ireland and she shared her love and passion with multiple trips there with family and friends.
Alice is preceded in death by parents, Charles and Maynell Wells and sister, Jenny Laney. She leaves behind her husband of 59 years, Joel Payne; son, Gregg (Tracy) Payne of McKinney, Texas; son, Jeremy (Gena) Payne of Pensacola, Florida; sister, Susan (Sam) Wiley of Houston, Texas; sister, Hope (Larry) Snell of Bedford, Virginia; brother, Jeff (Amaya) Wells of Tulsa, Oklahoma; grandchildren, Grace Payne of McKinney, Texas and Nathan Payne of Pensacola, Florida
A memorial service will be at 2:00 PM on Friday, October 17th at First Presbyterian Church, Fernandina Beach, Florida. For those not able to attend the service, live streaming will be available on the church's website.
The family asks those desiring to remember Alice do so by making memorial gifts to First Presbyterian Church.
Please share your memories and condolences at www.oxleyheard.com.