Dr. Donald E. Payne

A Memorial Service for Dr. Donald Earl Payne, M. D., 90, will be held on Thursday, November 13, 2014 at 2:00 PM at Green Acres Baptist Church with Rev. Paul Powell officiating. A reception will be held at Green Acres Baptist Church following the service. A private family graveside service at Rose Hill Cemetery will precede the service under the direction of Stewart Family Funeral Home. Dr. Donald Earl Payne, MD, 90, died Tuesday, November 4, 2014, at the Meadow Lake Retirement Center in Tyler following a brief illness. He is preceded in death by his parents David Earl Payne & Alice Lora High and one brother, Ronald Payne. Survivors include his wife of 63 years, Patsy Lowry Payne, of Tyler, and three sons and their wives: Keith & Cynthia Payne of Shreveport, LA; Mark & Helen Payne of Indianapolis, IN; and Alan & Toni Payne of Franktown, CO. He is also survived by six grandchildren and one great grandchild: Dana Payne living in Parker, CO; Shannon Payne in Colorado Springs, CO; Ann Payne in Pittsburgh, PA; John Payne in Long Beach, CA; and Liza and Becky Payne in Indianapolis, IN. Born September 24, 1924, in Anadarko, OK, Dr. Payne’s life spanned the Great Depression to present day, with his childhood years spent in Sterling, OK, where he graduated from high school. He attended the University of Oklahoma but was drafted into WWII to begin service with the Army in the Medical Corps. Spending more than two years sailing the world on various ships in the service, on his second Pacific tour he was assigned to the hospital ship USS Marigold, which was the first American ship to dock in Japan at the end of the war. The end of his second Pacific tour and the entirety of his third Pacific tour were spent transporting American POWs back to the Philippines and then on to the United States. Dr. Payne was honorably discharged from the Army on June 6, 1946, with the rank of Master Sergeant. Upon discharge he resumed his education at the University of Oklahoma and the University of Oklahoma School of Medicine, graduating in June of 1952, with his medical degree. Upon graduating from medical school, Dr. Payne and his wife Patsy relocated from Oklahoma City to Tyler, TX, where he started his career in Pediatrics with Dr. George Brown in July of 1955. Drs. Brown and Payne went on to establish the Children’s Clinic in Tyler, which is in operation to the present day on Rusk Street. Dr. Payne spent a total of 49 years in service to the parents and children of East Texas, finally retiring in October of 2003. His pediatric practice spanned three generations of children in the East Texas area, and he considered each one of them to be a member of his family. He truly lived for his work. Throughout his life, Dr. Payne enjoyed many diverse hobbies and interests, ranging from the collection of antique clocks to gardening, raising orchids, water skiing, and tennis, to name a few. He was quite proud of the fact that on his 80th birthday he managed to ski the entire length of Lake Tyler without stopping. But above all, his interests were dominated by caring for his immediate and extended family throughout his life and career in pediatrics. In this, he knew no greater joy than spending time with his family. Dr. Payne was a member of Green Acres Baptist Church for more than 59 years. Honorary pallbearers are Keith Payne, Mark Payne, Alan Payne, Cary Medlock, Carla Stover, Robin Carbonell, Dana Payne, and John Payne. The family wishes to thank Cary & Tami Medlock, longtime friends of Don, for their devotion and kindness. We also thank the excellent staff at Meadow Lake for their caring and helpfulness during Don's time there.

Dr. Donald E. Payne

September 24, 1924 - November 4, 2014