Mr. Eugene Payne

PAYNE, Mr. Eugene - Age 87, passed away Friday, November 12, 2021 in Houston, Texas. Family hour 10:00 AM Saturday, November 20, 2021 at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, G5443 Saginaw St., with funeral service commencing at 11:00 AM Pastor Samuel Berry III officiating. Interment Lovedale Memorial Cemetery, G-5175 E. Bristol Rd., Burton, MI. Friends and pallbearers will assemble at the church 10:00 AM Saturday. Mr. Payne will lie in state in the Chapel of Lawrence E. Moon Funeral Home, 906 W. Flint Park Blvd., and may be viewed from 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM Friday. Beloved father and friend, Eugene “Gene” Payne, Sr., quietly departed this life during the morning hours of Friday, November 12, 2021 while peacefully sleeping. He was 87 years old. He professed his love of Jesus Christ in 1996, was baptized and joined Greater Paradise Baptist Church in Flint. He loved serving on the Usher Board, where he could greet everyone who came in. He later joined TTOP (Triumphant Temple of Praise), where he was also a faithful member. When he moved to Houston, TX, he became a member of Word of Life Church. Born in Grady, Arkansas on October 23, 1934, “Gene” was the son of Minnie Scruggs Alford and Lewis Payne. He left Arkansas at the age of 16 for Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 1955, at the age of 21, he migrated to Flint, MI for a position at Fisher Body (a division of General Motors). Gene retired from Fisher Body in 1987, after 32 years of service. He was a member of the UAW Local 581, and was very skilled with painting tools and processes. Gene never met a stranger. He laughed and talked with everyone. During his life, he loved painting his cars (the paint jobs always looked show room new). He had a passion for playing Monopoly, and certainly believed that all problems could be resolved simply by playing a game of “Spades”. He was affectionately known at the table as “El Chito”. He was a beast in the kitchen and loved to cook catfish, oxtails, pancakes, and barbecue ribs & chicken. Gene is survived by sons; Larry (Denise) Allen of Muskegon MI; Eugene Payne Jr. of Flint MI; Melvin Payne of Naples, FL; Dexter Payne of Pine Bluff, AR.; daughters: Gloria (Frank) Gooden of Matteson, IL: Gloria Pate of Lawrenceville, GA; Teresa Payne of Flint, MI; Stephanie (Darel Sr.) Crochran of Grand Blanc MI; LaShon (Tyrone Sr.) Hatton of Houston, TX. Eugene had 27 grandchildren, 49 great-grandchildren and 14 great-great grandchildren. He is also survived by numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, in-laws and Special friends, including Ella White, Calvin Jones, Nate Eason, Deacon David Thomas, Minister L.S. and Ashanta Ellis, Candice Nellum, Cooper Family, Lloyd and Thelma Alford. Gene was preceded in death by his wife, Bobbie J. Henderson-Payne; parents, Minnie Alford-Blake and Lewis Payne; sister, Mary Arlene Payne-Taylor and brother, Elbert Cook, Sr., and many other relatives. The family would like to give special thanks to Tyrone Hatton Sr., Minister Odis Murphy, the staff at the DaVita Dialysis, Tomball, TX, friends and staff at HCA Tomball Hospital, Dr. Michael Casagrande, Dr. Shujauddin Bhuriwala, Dr. Steven Napierkowski, Dr. Neil Desai, Dr. Surena Matin, Dr. Maninder Guram, staff at Phoenix Home Health, Word of Life Houston Church Family, Macedonia Baptist Church Flint Church Family, Lawrence E. Moon Funeral Home, TTOP Family, Greater Paradise Baptist Church Family, Bishop Neal Roberson, Dionne Dickerson, and ALL of our loved ones and friends.

Mr. Eugene Payne

October 23, 1934 - November 12, 2021