Gerald Payne Obituary

Gerald Payne
07/22/1953 - 08/05/2024
Gerald "Jerry" Lavington Payne, of Stafford, Texas, born July 22, 1953, in Beaumont, Texas, to Hugh Lavington and Alpha Payne, passed away on August 5, 2024. He is lovingly remembered by his wife, Frances K. Payne; and their children, Heather Payne and Justin (Lauren) Payne. Jerry was a devoted grandfather to Kennedy M. Payne; and eagerly anticipated the arrival of Heather's first child, his second granddaughter. He is also survived by his sister, Daphne (Ronny) Dickerson; his brother, Doug (Jennifer) Payne; his sister-in-Law, Ruth Mulligan (Mike) of Ore.; and his cherished nieces and nephews, Lindsay Dickerson, Cooper Dickerson, and Katie Payne; along with many cousins. Jerry dedicated over 40 years of his life to Custom Plastics (now Encon Custom Plastics), where he worked closely with his cousin, Pete, and made numerous lifelong friends. His colleagues were more than just associates; they were like family to him, and he held them in high regard. After retiring on April 19 of this year, Jerry looked forward to enjoying his well-deserved retirement, savoring Weller and Coke, and watching over his loved ones. Jerry always anticipated the annual Dove Hunt with enthusiasm; this year, he will be sparing many birds. He lived his life by the values of honesty, integrity, and doing what was right ("It's the right thing to do"). He loved animals, particularly dogs, and leaves behind Sadie, who will bring comfort to Fran. He is reunited in spirit with his beloved dogs, Boggett, Indy, and Bear. Jerry's journey from Beaumont to Houston at age ten included a graduation from Memorial High School, and further studies at Southwest Texas (now Texas State University). Despite the trials of his teenage years and early adulthood, he navigated these times with resilience, often reflecting on them with fondness and humor. As described by his friends, "how the hell did we survive our teenage, college, and early adulthood?" A celebration of Jerry's life will be held on August 16, at Cadillac Bar, 1805 Shepherd Dr., starting at 4 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the charity of your choice. The family expresses their heartfelt gratitude to all of Jerry's friends and supporters.