The world grew quieter on September 28, 2026 when it lost William Robert 'Bill' Payne. Born June 27, 1960 in Charleston, WV he graduated from Saint Albans High School and, after attending Case Western Reserve University, the University of Charleston. He played the trumpet in the marching band which performed at the 1976 Tournament of Roses Parade, was a National Merit Scholar semi-finalist, and was in honor society. While in college he was asked by Governor Rockefeller to translate a piece of Russian correspondence.

Bill was a son, brother, husband, doggy daddy, disc jockey at WKLC in Charleston, ZBT fraternity brother, baseball card collector, Baltimore/ Indianapolis Colts fan, computer programmer, photographer, published author, poet, singer, church soloist, Francophile, lover of old Hollywood musicals (especially those featuring Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly), community theater performer, expert woodworker (creating his entire kitchen and bathroom cabinetry from scratch), avid fountain pen collector, and a ravenous reader. He had a particular affinity for Charles Dickens, Earnest Hemingway, Jules Verne, and he collected original Tom Swift Jr. books.

He went on three church choir European tours even getting to perform a solo part at Chartes Cathedral (one of the largest in Europe) in France.

After attending the University of Charleston, Bill worked for IBM in Kingston, NY, he also worked as a computer programmer contractor at General Motors in Lansing, MI. He then moved to Texas and was a programmer at Trane in Tyler, TX. Next he moved to Dallas and worked for Rockwell, DSC, TEK Systems, Sprint and Bank of America.

It was while working at DSC in Plano, TX that he met his wife Wendy (Craig) Payne. They met while singing in the Chancel Choir at First United Methodist Church in Richardson, TX. They were married there July 1, 1989 and their honeymoon was that choir's tour of England. In 1999 they once again toured with the choir to Switzerland and France. It was there where Bill fell in love with French culture and had expressed an interest in retiring there. In 2000 they joined the University Park Methodist Church and toured with that choir traveling to Scotland and England.

Other notable vacations took them to Denver, CO to watch his hero, quarterback Peyton Manning, play football; and a vacation to Boston (staying on a small yacht) and Portland, ME.

While they didn't have human children, Bill and Wendy were parents to several papillon dogs. They got their first papillon dog, D'Artagnan (from The Three Musketeers) in 2001. He was followed by Sophie in 2011, Passepartout (from Around the World in 80 Days), next came their baby Genevieve and finally Daphne.

Since retiring in 2021, he was writing full time and created his book Christopher Quick and the Dragon's Curse in which a young boy and his papillon D'Artagnan take on the protagonist. He also wrote short stories and poetry.

Bill was preceded in death by his father Robert Keith Payne. In addition to his wife Wendy, he is survived by his mother Carol of St. Albans, WV, brother Jeff of Port Charlotte, FL, Kevin of Crowley, TX and his beloved papillon girls Sophie and Daphne.

Bill will be remembered for his quick wit, his beautiful voice, and his gentle and loving spirit.