Lawrence Joseph Payne's Obituary
Lawrence J. Payne left this life for the next life on June 10th, 2011, at the age of 88. He was born on September 2nd, 1922, in Fort Worth, Texas, to Victoria and Thomas Payne. He attended Texas A&M College before entering the Army Air Corps. He served as a B25 pilot in the Mediterranean where he completed 67 combat missions, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Presidential Citation and Air Medal with Ten Clusters. After his military service, he married Phyllis Weaver in Fort Worth, and then returned to Texas A&M where he earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering. His professional career consisted of many years with Stanolind Oil and Gas Co., Texas Instruments, and the building materials business, Payne & Howard, Inc., with his brother Tom Payne. Beyond these accomplishments, he is most remembered for his loving spirit and giving nature. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Tom Payne, and sisters Madeline Anderson and Dorothy Hackney. He is survived by his wife Phyllis, son Keith Payne and his wife Rita, daughter Loren Adair and her husband Spencer, and 3 grandchildren, Shannon, Wiley and Hayden Adair, and many nieces and nephews. The family wishes to thank the entire staff of Silverado Turtle Creek for their excellent and loving care of Larry. Visitation will be Sunday, June 12th, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at Restland Funeral Home, 13005 Greenville Ave. Internment will be Monday, June 13th at 1:30 pm, at the Chapel Gardens Mausoleum of Restland Memorial Park, with memorial service following at 3:00 pm, University Park United Methodist Church, 4024 Caruth Blvd., Dallas, Texas. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association, UPUMC, or the charity of your choice.
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