T. Jay Payne

T. Jay Payne passed away on July 23, 2022, in the Creekside Senior Living Center of old age. He has joined all his loved ones who preceded him in death, which were many as he lived to be 98 years old!  For most of those 98 years, he was fit, sharp, friendly, and clever-witted.  T. Jay was born July 12, 1924, in Ogden, Utah, to Louis Myers Payne and LaVerna Kent Payne.  One week after his 18^th birthday, he talked his mother into letting him go discuss possibilities with the local recruiting offices to be an officer in the United States Navy, “and before I knew it I had my right hand in the air, being sworn into the navy; and I was really there just to ask questions.”   He started dating Elaine Treseder during his training at Weber, and they eventually got married on July 14, 1944, while on a 10-day leave.  “I had been a lot of places and done a lot of things of some importance, but ironically I still needed my mother’s signature to get married as I wasn’t yet 21.”  He served in the US Navy as a pilot/navigator from July 1942 until December 1945.   He had five children, Rod, Carla, Cheryl, Gary, and Shelley. After he and Elaine divorced, he married Marilyn Davis in 1977 who had a daughter, Kenzie.  They were married until her death in 2018.  He began a career with Mt. Bell shortly after the war and began emptying the coins out of pay phones and worked his way up the ladder until his retirement.

After retirement, he and Marilyn were able to travel extensively; he was a great golfer and golfed well until he was 95.  He loved his golfing buddies, his Monday morning liars club, and his many friends; and mostly his dogs and his cats.

His spiritual journey was tortuous and rocky throughout his life, but he was converted and rejoined the Church of Jesus of Latter Day Saints when he was 75 years old.  His story is one of a modern-day prodigal son.  He was a very willing and engaged servant in his ward after that.

He is survived by: Jeanie Payne Larsen (Rod’s wife), Don Forbush (Carla’s husband), Cheryl  Brallier, Gary, Shelley (Mark) Smedley, and Kenzie (Jeff) Brierley;  22 grandchildren, 48 great grandchildren, 15 granddogs, and 8 grandcats.

He was preceded in death by his mother and father, siblings Pat and Jack Andrews, and Kent and Beth Payne, children Rod and Carla, and son-in-law Dave Brallier.

We express gratitude for those who cared for Dad at Creekside Senior Living, for Julie and the Hospice team from A plus Hospice, the many aides who loved him and spoiled him, and for Bob and Barbara who visited every Wednesday with a chocolate shake.

So, dad, we love you, we know you are happy.  No more hearing aids, a clear mind and clever wit fully restored, and being reunited with your loved ones–humans, dogs and cats.  Rodney and out!

Dad chose to be cremated and buried with Elaine at the Farmington City Cemetery. Graveside celebration, Aug 17, 2022 3:30 pm, Farmington City Cemetery.
Celebration of Jay to follow at Gary’s house.