Donna Eleanor Rice Myrick Payne passed away peacefully at home in San Francisco on July 16th, 2023.

Born in 1936 in Martinsburg, West Virginia, Donna moved to Napa, California with her first husband, Randy, and their one-year-old daughter, Diane, in 1959. There, the couple had two more daughters, Lisa and Nancy.

The family became members of the First Baptist Church (Crosswalk) of Napa, where Donna found community and a spiritual home. At church she made lifelong friends that she loved and enjoyed passing time with over food, bible study, and games. Donna was also an enormous supporter of the Napa schools, first as the wife of a teacher and as a volunteer in her children's classes, then as a member of the school district's transportation department. She eventually served many years in the school district's personnel department, working with and knowing many teachers.

Donna received her bachelor's degree from University of San Francisco via a distance learning program that she proudly said was "online before there was an online." She cared for her first husband through his long battle with MS and, after his passing, met and married Thad Payne with whom she found love and joy and had great fun with traveling around the country.

She spent the last decade of her life in San Francisco near two of her daughters and her grandchildren. She found a spiritual home and community at the Lincoln Presbyterian Church where she served as Treasurer and where she made many new and dear friends.

Her religious faith ran deep, and she would be happy to share the joy she got from it, but she never pushed it on others. She believed people could find their own path to God. Her religion always led her on the path of love.

She is remembered by many for her sincere friendliness, commitment to family, community and her God. She believed in being useful. She volunteered for the PTA, First Baptist Church, Soroptimists, the teacher's union, the Salvation Army, Kaiser Hospital, and many more. And her collection of glass slippers, often gifts from friends and family, brought her great joy.

She was preceded in death by her brothers, Harry Rice and Thomas Rice, her sisters, Phyllis Rice Faust and Gloria Jean Rice, her first husband, Ferd Randal Myrick, and her second husband, Thad Payne.

She is survived by her sister, Daisy Rice Hite of Martinsburg WV; her daughters Diane Maria Myrick of San Francisco, Lisa Marlene Myrick of Napa, and Nancy Gail Myrick of San Francisco; Diane's husband David Magidson and their sons Duncan Magidson and Dustin Magidson; Nancy's husband Stephen "Woody" LaBounty and their daughter Miranda LaBounty.

Services will be on Saturday, August 5th at 11:00am at Crosswalk Church in Napa. Lunch will follow. Donations in her memory can be made to:

Crosswalk Church's Food Pantry and other church ministries:

https://www.crosswalknapa.org/food-pantry

The Richmond Neighborhood Center's Food Pantry and Food Delivery Service:

https://richmondsf.org/food-programs/ Donna Rice Payne

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Napa Valley Register from Aug. 5 to Aug. 6, 2023.

Memories and Condolences
for Donna Payne

3 Entries

Cecile Hodge

August 7, 2023

Diane, Lisa and Nancy and all of Donna's family. I am so sorry to hear this. I too would have been there if I had known. I worked with Donna many years in the HR Office. Donna had so many wonderful qualities about her. She was ALWAYs nice and respectful, helpful to anyone that came in the door. She also put up with the antics of Cindy and me with a smile and a chuckle. The world has lost a wonderful person. The years that I worked with your mom have many, many memories of fun, and a mountain of work that we moved every day. I love your mom and again I am so sorry. I bet she is in heaven busy, helping with the Lord's work. I have known each of you in your younger years and feel some how we are all related and the three of us raised our children together. With much love to all of you.

Stacey (Randall) Warren-Daee

August 6, 2023

The Myricks were one of our first neighbors when we moved to Napa in 1961. Mrs and Mr Myrick we´re both so sweet to us kids and I remember them fondly. My sympathy to all the girls.

Susan Ribardiere

August 6, 2023

I am so sorry to hear about Donna! The Saturday paper comes in the mail (afternoon) and I didn´t read it until just now. I would have attended her service if I would have known in time.

I LOVED LOVED LOVED your mom!! I worked in Fiscal Operations in the district office while your mom was in Personnel. We worked together a LOT on budget stuff and even carpooled together to classes in San Pablo for school district classes. I am the same age as the oldest daughter (1958) so we would have conversations about that. Again, I am SO sorry to hear about your mom´s passing but I will ALWAYS remember her with great fondness!!

Showing 1 - 3 of 3 results