Mrs. Beverley Natalee Payne

Payne, Mrs. Beverley N. – Surrounded by her family, passed peacefully through heaven’s gates on Dec. 14, 2016 at Hurley Medical Center. Family hour and the Delta Sigma Theta Inc. Omega Omega ritual, will be at 10:00 a.m., Wed. Dec. 21 at First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church, 1226 Beach St., with the funeral service commencing at 11:00 a.m. Dr. Ezra L. Tillman, Jr. officiating. Interment will be at Evergreen Cemetery, 3415 E. Hill, Grand Blanc, MI. Friends and pallbearers will assemble at the church Wed. at 10:00 a.m. Mrs. Payne will lie in state in the Chapel of the Lawrence E. Moon Funeral Home, 906 W. Flint Park Blvd. The public viewing will be held on Tue. Dec. 20 from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The family will be available to receive friends from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers donation can be made to: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Flint 410 E. Second Street, Flint, MI 48503, (810) 235-0617 or bbbsflint.org. Mrs. Payne, 66, was born in Kingston, Jamaica and is the only child of the late Ms. Sidony Walters and George Reid. She was adopted --as a teenager-- by her aunt, the late Mrs. Mavis E. (Archie) Allen. Mrs. Payne immigrated to the United States as a teenager and quickly made her mark in Michigan. She joined First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church in 1966. She was also a debutante, and selected queen of her ball. A beauty inside and out, she had a brief stint as a model and appeared in a local retail catalog. She graduated from Flint Central High School and matriculated at Eastern Michigan University. Mrs. Payne earned a Bachelor of Science in special education with a focus on emotional impairment in 1972. In August of that year, she received her state elementary teaching certificate. She earned a Master of Arts in learning disabilities at Eastern Michigan in 1981. Mrs. Payne met Gary Lyn Payne at age 17 at university. They married in Flint on Aug. 4, 1973. From their loving union, they had three beautiful and intelligent daughters, Tamika Danette, Crystal Lynn and Ashley Nicole. They raised their family in Grand Blanc, MI. Mrs. Payne was a talented and dedicated educator. Her career with the Flint Public Schools spanned 35 years, in which she had a passionate focus on special education. She worked as a special education coordinator, then as vice principal at Northwestern Edison Academy. She capped her career as principal at The Flint Classical Academy, an International Baccalaureate program. She retired in 2010, at 59 but remained active as an education consultant with various charter schools. She was exceedingly generous with her time, keeping in touch with former students and their achievements. Soror Payne was an active member of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. Flint Alumnae Chapter for 32 years. She served on the executive board, was an advisor to Mu Phi Chapter, and as a devoted mentor to all members. She took pride in mentoring young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. While much of her community involvement was through Delta Sigma Theta, Mrs. Payne was also involved in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and a member of Jack & Jill, Inc. Mrs. Payne loved to travel and visited nearly every continent. She took her students to China, and vacationed in many places including South Africa, Australia, and France. She visited her daughter who lived in Sierra Leone, West Africa and Switzerland. Mrs. Payne enjoyed hosting grand gatherings of friends and family, especially during the holidays. She loved deeply; her care and compassion for others knew no bounds. Her dedication to her husband, children and grandchildren was limitless, as she always wanted the best for them. Mrs. Payne is survived by her husband, Gary; three daughters, Tamika, Crystal and Ashley; two sons-in-law, Victor Alan Young, Jr. and Daron Douglas, Sr.; a daughter-in- law, Kimberly S. Johnson; three grandsons, Victor Alan Young, III, Daron Douglas, Jr. and Caleb Douglas; her Aunt Marjorie “Polly” Walters; cousins, Rose Harris, Ricardo “Steve” Lewin, and Jaden Lewin; four half-siblings, Glenn, Ferman, Donald and Olive Reid; three sisters-in-law, Catherine Payne, Judith Hillard and Seretha Saunders; a host of nieces, nephews, and dozens of lifelong, loving and loyal friends. She will be greatly missed.

Mrs. Beverley Natalee Payne

September 16, 1950 - December 14, 2016