John H. Payne Jr.

Mr. John H. Payne, Jr.,
age 61, of N. Abbey Lane
Court, Toccoa, passed
away Monday, Jan. 12,
2026, at Northeast Georgia
Medical Center.
A son of John H. Payne,
Sr. and the late Johnnie
LaCount Payne, he was
born Oct. 17, 1964, in
Stephens County, Georgia,
where he had lived all his
life. He was employed with
CNN as a commercial
technician for a number of
years. He was a graduate
of North Georgia Tech
with a degree in photogra-
phy. His hobbies include
photography, hunting, and
fishing, playing baseball
and loved watching the
Georgia Bulldogs.
In addition to his moth-
er, he was preceded in
death by a brother, James
Thomas Payne.
He is survived by his fa-
ther, John Henry Payne,
Sr.; nephews, Dawson
Payne, Brian Payne and
Jordan Wilson, all of Toc-
coa; aunts, Louise Lathan,
of Toccoa, Rachel Sikes, of
Florida and Ellene Carson,
of Carnesville, Ga.; uncle
and aunt, Lewis and his
wife Sarah LaCount, of
Toccoa; a number of
cousins.
Funeral services will be
Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at 2
p.m. at Toccoa Church of
Christ with Mr. Dawson
Payne, minister Aubrey
Prestridge and Mr. Robert
Gunn officiating. The fol-
lowing gentlemen will
serve as pallbearers, Daw-
son Payne, Jordan Wilson,
Brian Payne, Greg An-
drews, Brian Weeks and
Lance Brawner. Mr. John
Henry Payne, Sr., will
serve as honorary pall-
bearer.
The family will receive
friends at the Acree-Davis
Funeral Home on Thurs-
day, 6-8 p.m. and on Friday
from 12-1:40 p.m. Online
condolences may be left
for the family at
www.acree-davisfh.com.
Interment will follow in
the Stephens Memorial
Gardens with the Rev. Bil-
ly McVey officiating.
Acree-Davis Funeral
Home and Crematory is in
charge of the arrange-
ments for Mr. John H.
Payne, Jr.