Billy Charles Payton

Billy Charles Payton was born January 16, 1948 in Grand Cane, Louisiana to Viola Lee and Charles “Buddy Boy” Payton. He was raised in Grand Cane early on but moved to Shreveport, LA in middle school, where he remained until his graduation from Bethune High School in 1966.

Billy joined the Army after graduation. He completed his basic training at Fort Polk, specializing training at Fort Lee, and continued advanced AIT at Fort Carson, Colorado. Billy was assigned to the 1st Air Cavalry for Vietnam in 67-68. After his first tour, Billy returned to the US at Fort MacArthur, CA 69-70. In 1970, Billy went to Germany, then London before going back to Vietnam for a second tour via 9th infantry dmz in 70-71. He returned to the US in 1971 to Fort Ord, CA, where he met and married Alicia Marie Underdue and had his first child, Daryl Lamont. He was later transferred to Fort Lewis Washington 72-74, and then to Grafenwoehr, Germany in 1975, where he had his second child, Darnell Lavern. He and his family returned to the US in 1975 due to injury and was reassigned to Fort Hood, Texas, where his youngest child, Tanisha Marie, was born in 1977.

Shortly after the birth of their last child, Billy was medically and honorably discharged from active duty. He then moved with his family back to Monterey, California, where he began studies in Criminal Justice. He and his wife separated in 1979, but he continued his studies and graduated from Los Angeles Southwest College in 1980. He then transferred to UC Dominguez Hills where he continued to study Criminal Justice for another 1.5 years.

In 1983, Billy moved to Los Angeles, CA, where through the Veteran’s reassessment program, he began work with the Internal Revenue Service until his return to Shreveport, Louisiana in 1985. In Shreveport, he worked with H&R Block and Southern Security because he didn’t know how to be “retired” completely. Billy met his partner, Elmarie Redd, affectionately known as “Momma E” by his 3 children, in 2000.

Billy had a beautiful relationship with God. He joined Lonestar Baptist Church under Pastor D.L. King when 13 years old, and he rejoined and became a Deacon at Lonestar under Pastor Calvin Kimball upon his return to Louisiana in 1985. In 1999, he became a member of the family church Mary Evergreen Baptist Church where he served as Deacon, Youth Sunday School Teacher, Adult Male Sunday School Teacher, a member of the church choir, and as a member of the male chorus.

Billy was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers Claude L. Hunter and Robert Payton, his sister Katherine S. Johnson, and his oldest son, Daryl L. Payton. Billy is survived by his son Darnell Payton, daughter Tanisha Payton, and Stepson Cedric Redd (Semina); his siblings, Jack Payton, Morris Payton, Maurice Payton, Maggie Cavitt, Aretha Hewitt, Barbara Wilson, and Donna Watkins, 9 grandchildren, Rojshanay Beck, Angel Rodriguez, LaNiya Nelson, Dekeshia Davis-Lars, Taja Davis, Shakendra Davis, Jemodric Brown, Cedarrius Redd, and Jalia Redd, 9 greatgrandchildren, and a host of other family and friends.

When recently asked what he is most proud of in his 78 years, Billy stated he is, “most grateful for and proud of my children.” His children can confidently say they have always been and will always be grateful for and proud of Billy too.