William Crofford Payne

William "Bill" Payne, 82, of Abilene, Texas, passed away on October 26, 2025, in Fort Worth, Texas.

Visitation will be 5:00PM to 7:00PM Monday, November 3, 2025, at The Hamil Family Funeral Home.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00AM Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at The Hamil Family Funeral Home Chapel with the Senior Pastor John Whitten of Pioneer Drive Baptist Church (PDBC) officiating. Burial will follow at The Hillcrest Garden of Memory Cemetery in Hillsboro, Texas. Services are under the direction of The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road.

Bill was born in Biloxi, Mississippi to William and Juanita Payne on October 17, 1943. He graduated from Texas Tech University in 1967. He married Julia Ann Yorke on January 27, 1968, in Lubbock, Texas. He worked as a civil engineer and retired from General Services Administration in 2010.

Upon retirement to White Bluff at Lake Whitney, Bill maintained a beautiful yard and taught his grandson, Vaughn, how to operate a riding lawnmower-even if Vaughn tried to ride it down the street instead. Bill loved playing golf at the White Bluff courses and could be found playing any time of day with his friends, wife, or granddaughters; he often said he was "living his dream" during these years. When his granddaughters, Susannah and Louisa, were in town, they received golf lessons, and golf cart driving lessons, too (their favorite). In retirement, Bill and Judy enjoyed travel-trailer camping in Colorado with daughter Betsy and family, sometimes even taking additional family members along for the ride. During their visits with Betsy's family, Bill enjoyed telling jokes with his granddaughter, Emelyn; she continues to carry on his enthusiastic humor. In preparation for his trips, some may have seen Bill trying to perfect his camper-reversing skills in the White Bluff Chapel parking lot-with a crowd of neighbors in lawn chairs watching and cheering him on.

After Bill and Judy relocated to Abilene, he found joy handing out cookies to the kids at Vacation Bible School and helping clean dishes with the PDBC kitchen crew after Wednesday night meals. He enjoyed learning more about family members' interests and expertise, often closely following sports games where his family was attending or living-Abilene High, University of Oklahoma, and the Air Force Academy. Bill supported his community by driving friends to doctor appointments and assisting the Nehemiah Men when he was able. At home, he loved combining his two favorite things-his dogs and

talking-by visiting with neighbors who passed by his corner of South 9th and Grove Street while Duallie and Gizmoe sat with him on the porch.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents and younger brother, Michael F. Payne.

He is survived by his wife, Judy: his daughter and son-in-law, Molly and Brandon Lee, of Abilene, Texas: his daughter and son-in-law, Betsy and Jason Green of Johnstown, Colorado: his granddaughters, Louisa Lee of Indianapolis, Indiana, Susannah Lee of Abilene, Texas, and Emelyn Green of Johnstown, Colorado: and his grandson, Vaughn Green of Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Pallbearers will be George Bouquet, Tom Cowley, Jason Green, Ron Green, Vaughn Green, and Brandon Lee.

Memorials may be made to the Next70 Capital Campaign at Pioneer Drive Baptist Church.

The family wishes to extend sincere thanks to the PDBC staff and Whitehorn's Bible Surveyors Sunday School Class.