Mrs. Rita "Mama Rita" Payne

Funeral Service for Mrs. Rita "Mama Rita" Payne, 70, of Alexander City, Alabama, will be Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at 2:00 pm at the Chapel of Radney Funeral Home. Pastor Adam Wade will officiate. The family will receive friends on Tuesday, May 27, 2025 from 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm at Radney Funeral Home.
Rita Yates Payne, affectionately known as "Mama Rita" to many, passed away on Friday, May 23, 2025 at Jackson Hospital in Montgomery. Born on September 10, 1954 in Sylacauga, Alabama, she was the daughter of Mr. Artis Yates and Mrs. Christine Tucker Dunham Yates. Mama Rita embodied every positive attribute of what a good southern mama should be. Her life was dedicated to nurturing, raising, and loving with all of her heart, and that heart knew no boundaries when it came to those she gave it to so freely. Rita was a mother to many and a friend to all. If you were hungry, she'd be there with a home cooked meal. If there was a crying baby, her gentle hands would calm them instantly. If you were in trouble, she'd be there ready to protect. Or, if you just needed a friend, she'd be there on the front porch with a fresh cup of coffee. To some, a full house on the holidays can be chaotic, but to her, it was the sign of a welcoming home.
Rita found beauty in others and in life. She loved planting flowers, talking on the phone, and watching the many birds that gathered in her yard. Her heart was split between her love for the mountains and love for the ocean. Either destination was sure to get her packed and ready. Rita loved all of her children and her puppy dogs, but nothing brought more joy than her grandchildren who lovingly knew her as "Nana." Her patience and ability to forgive before you even asked made her a remarkable woman to have in your life. She really was the best wife, mother, nana, friend, and "Mama Rita" that one could ever ask for. Her selfless loving and infectious laughter will be missed, but the light she brought will never go out in the hearts of those she touched.
Rita is survived by her husband, Tracy Payne; daughters, Christal (Bradley) McClellan, Stacey (Jeffrey) Bradford; grandchildren, Anna McClellan, Waylon Bradford; sisters, Gail (Stick) McDaniel, Brenda Marshall; brothers, Sidney Yates; and the children that forever knew her as "Mama Rita," Nikki (Grant) Traylor, Erin (Terry) Traylor, Steven Traylor.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Artis & Christine Yates; and sisters, Patricia Ballow & Anita Henderson.
Radney Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Rita "Mama Rita" Payne.