Walter Eugene "Bebe" Payne

After 75 years of spreading joy wherever he went, Walter Eugene "Bebe" Payne left behind a legacy of laughter when he passed on May 11, 2025. A down-to-earth, charismatic, and jovial figure, Bebe still charmed family and friends even as his health declined in his final years. Born on July 6, 1949, Bebe was the youngest child of Mildred and Walter "Uncle Dudley" Payne and the constant companion of his older brother Wilford. He attended Thorn Hill and John White Elementary Schools as well as East Junior High and East High School during Youngstown's Post-World War II heyday. After high school and a brief stint at Youngstown State University, Bebe enlisted in the United States Air Force and was initially stationed at a Strategic Air Command Base in Great Falls, Montana. He was then deployed to Cam Ranh Bay during the Vietnam War, saw combat during the Tet Offensive, and was exposed to chemicals such as Agent Orange that contributed to the illness that eventually took his life. Following his tour in Vietnam, Bebe continued his service at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington, D.C. He then received an honorable discharge from the Air Force and remained in the Washington, D.C. area, eventually settling across the Potomac River in Alexandria, Virginia but remaining fiercely proud of his Sharonline roots. As a child, Bebe used to wear his baseball cap to bed and his youth was characterized by a love of sports, music, and dancing, passions he carried throughout his life. He starred in little league baseball for Andy's Auto Glass, on the East Jr. High and Price Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church basketball teams and in the band and on the track team at East Sr. High. He also participated in the Youth Choir and Youth Usher Board at Price Memorial and was a member of McGuffey Centre Boy Scout Troop 18, where he achieved the rank of Life Scout. A veteran, telecommunications technician, athlete, music lover, movie buff, and fisherman, Bebe was rarely seen without a hat or a smile. He was beloved by all the children in the family for his eagerness to engage with them and amuse them. An avid golfer, youth basketball coach, and local DJ, he delighted in traveling with his wife and the love of his life Elaine, to whom he was married for 34 years. In his civilian career, Bebe worked as a telecommunications technician troubleshooting and repairing data communications circuitry and related hardware before retiring from Verizon with 37 years' service. In his golden years, Bebe honed his golf game and took frequent trips to Las Vegas and Sunset Beach, North Carolina with Elaine, in addition to regularly attending sporting events, and organizing fantasy sports leagues. Even as he aged, Bebe made a point of staying in touch with youth culture and his dapper wardrobe and massive hat collection were two of his trademarks, along with his zest for life and his talent for entertaining others. He will be remembered as a loving husband, a doting father and grandfather, and a "cool uncle" to many nieces and nephews. Bebe is survived by his wife Elaine Gates Payne; son Michael Mangum (Mandy) and granddaughter, Mika Mangum of Cumberland, MD; grandson, Isiah Bishop of Frostburg, MD; step-grandsons, Markel Spencer of Alexandria, VA, and Avery Spencer of Cumberland, MD; goddaughter Chloe Gardiner of West Hartford, CT; mother-in-law Lola Gates of Cumberland, MD; sisters-in-law Carole (Clint) Gardiner of West Hartford, CT and Sylvia "Loodie" Gates of Hagerstown, MD, and brothers-in-law John (Sukhvinder) Gates of Cumberland MD and Steve Gates of Gettysburg, PA. Bebe is also survived by his aunts, Emma Gatewood (Arlette Gatewood, deceased) and Lynn Williams Phillips, both of Youngstown, OH, as well as a host of cousins and countless friends. Bebe was preceded in death by his parents Mildred Louise Gatewood Payne and Walter A. Payne; his brother Wilford A. "Wil" Payne; his paternal grandparents Richard E. and Nannie Jones Payne; and maternal grandparents, Mayhue and Ella Current Jackson Gatewood. Visitation for Bebe will be held at 10:00am, May 30, 2025, at L.E. Black Phillips & Holden Funeral Home (1951 McGuffey Road, Youngstown, OH 44505), followed by a Celebration of Life in the same location at 11:00am. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America or any non-profit that supports families affected by Alzheimer's or funds research for a cure or better treatment of the condition. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Walter Eugene "Bebe" Payne, please visit our floral store.