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Payer, Steve

January 16, 1961 –
 November 11, 2014

Obituary

On the night of November 11, 2014, Forrest Steven Payer passed away after a five year battle with cancer.  He was attended at home by his spouse and a close circle of family and friends who loved and cherished him dearly. Steve is survived by his parents, Joanne and Forrest Payer in Little Rock; his best friend and spouse of 22 years, Shawn Barron, his three sisters and a number of cherished nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews. Steve was born in Little Rock, Arkansas on January 16, 1961, the third of four children and the only son of Joann and Forrest Payer.  He attended high school at Catholic High School for Boys in Little Rock. Steve went on to attend the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and Memphis State University where he graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Nursing. Steve spent the last 20 years of his career as a Registered Nurse, functioning as the Night Supervisor in the intensive care unit of Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, providing care primarily to patients immediately following an organ transplant procedure.  Steve took great pride in his work and his responsibility to the patient and their families.  His colleagues, also friends, describe him as a true leader – nurturing, patient, loved, gentle spirit and compassionate …the list goes on.  As Esther Ngo adds, “Steve renewed my love for nursing.  Initially, I called him Daddy to get a rise out of him, to aggravate him, but over our 17 years of friendship, the nickname “Daddy” really did fit…He was an ambassador for nursing, demonstrating the strength and kindness that all nurses should use in their practice.” At this time of year, you could always count on Steve to know the score when it came to college football.  Steve was a true Razorback fan and made it a point to watch the games.  He had a special place in his heart for his two – four legged daughters – Jesse, a Boston terrier, and Nikki, a whippet.  They brought him and his spouse great comfort during these difficult times.  Steve kept up-to-date on current events and also had a knowledge and deep interest in historical events.  He loved to travel and was an intelligent man with an uncanny ability to remember vast amounts of information.  Unfortunately that also included to his delight, remembering crazy childhood stories that could embarrass his siblings and cause his parents to just shake their heads and roll their eyes! Steve was a selfless, giving person who was quick to help others but never asked for anything for himself.  He loved life and the outdoors — anything from trips to the Florida beaches or his own beautiful back yard.  Most important, Steve was a very caring, loving family member and friend.  Family was so valuable to Steve – he was always in touch with his family and took such delight in surprising his sisters and mother with jewelry at family get togethers. Steve’s memorial service will be held on Saturday, December 6, 2014 at 1:00 PM at the Aria Memorial Chapel. A special thanks goes out to our close family friends –his spouse Shawn, his little sister Missy Payer Ebeling, Gloria Barron, Shea Sears and Esther Ngo, who were always there for Steve. Arrangements are under the direction of ARIA Cremation Service and Funeral Home 19310 Preston Road Dallas, Texas 75252 214-306-6700    

    Gill Giddens
    13 Nov 2014
    11:44am

    Steve was a good man that will be dearly missed.

    My heart and prayers go out to Shawn and Steve’s family.

    Vickie Smith
    14 Nov 2014
    3:40pm

    Our dear cousin Steve, will sorely be missed, but not forgotten. Our hearts are heavy with sadness, but our hearts are also filled with wonderful childhood memories of Steve, especially on Christmas Eve at our grandparents house! His beautiful eyes and smile were always so warm and cheerful to watch. He fought this battle hard, but know he is now at peace with God.
    Love to you all…
    Vickie

    Tracy L. Otto
    15 Nov 2014
    7:54pm

    Steve was truly a blessing to so many and will always be remembered as a gentleman who touched lives deeply. He was a man of faith, knowledge, and kindness. Steve dealt with his illness with incredible strength and courage, setting an example for all. Rest in peace, dear friend. May the Lord bless you and keep you in the palm of His hand. Sincere condolences to Steve’s family and friends. May your memories bring you comfort.

    D'Orsey Hardy
    16 Nov 2014
    9:03pm

    Steve was our glue on nightshift. It hasn’t been the same since he left. I was one of the few people that he could talk SEC football with on Mondays after the games. I miss that. 4 West misses him and I am so glad that now he’s at peace. Rest in Heaven, Steve. Oh, and Arkansas beat my LSU Tigers yesterday just for you!!

    Patrice Convery
    20 Nov 2014
    10:00am

    My thoughts and prayers are with you.

    Ashley
    21 Nov 2014
    11:57am

    My thoughts and prayers are with your family at this time……

    Michelle Cain
    21 Nov 2014
    7:18pm

    Steve was such a genuine kind hearted soul. I’ll never forget the lessons he taught me as a nurse new to working with transplants. He was always so patient. He was funny and loved to joke around. I was devastated when he found about his cancer and more devastated when he passed. I recently saw him at the hospital and will cherish my last conversation with him and the long hug I was able to share with him. I will miss him deeply. My sympathies and condolences to his partner, family and friends.

    Mary Martin
    22 Nov 2014
    8:49am

    Shawn…I’ll never forget Steve and WONDERFUL spirit O:-) and how much you loved him.
    I send my prayers for you and the family O:-)
    ~ HIS~ PEACE AND BLESSINGS…ALWAYS!
    ~ Psalms 23~

    Andelynn Gomes-Ford
    27 Nov 2014
    1:12am

    It was a great pleasure to have worked alongside Steve. My family’s prayers are with you all.

    Matt Marsich
    3 Dec 2014
    6:56pm

    I lived in Dallas less than 6 months but Steve and Shawn were my best friends. In such a short time I had made a friend for life. Because of the distance between us I never got to see Steve that much but our friendship never dwindled. Rest in peach my friend.

    Mike Sader and Rodney Lewis
    5 Dec 2014
    9:39pm

    We are deeply saddened by our dear friend’s passing. My heart felt condolences to my dear friend Shawn. You will be missed Steve.

    Rick Wilson
    11 Nov 2016
    9:03am

    How is it that it is already two years since we lost Steve? He is missed and thought of every day. I know he is looking down and smiling at how well Shawn has carried on with his love and commitments from their ceremony. His love and strength will not be forgotten as long as we remember him……..but we will always miss you dear friend.

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Testimonials

R. Driver
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"Excellent customer service, they made you feel like you were their only customer. Very helpful and explained what we should expect during the process. They basically took care of our needs during this time. They contacted DFW National Cemetery for us which made it a smooth experience. Definitely will use them again."
K. Barker
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"I was amazed how professional the team at Aria Funeral Preston Dallas Texas are. They guided me through the process and my options of their services that they offered for my mother. They are compassionate, caring, calm, good listener, efficient and did an excellent job! Thank you!"
R. Woll
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"If I could give 6 stars I would. Aria made a difficult easier to deal with by basically taking care of everything in an efficient but very empathetic manner. I can speak highly enough of Dusty Martin, who helped us with all of the planning and logistics. He was incredibly understanding and helpful."
Angel M.
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"Nothing prepares you for the grief you go through when losing a child. I called this funeral home at 2:00 am broken and could barely talk. The amount of compassion and empathy they showed me immediately let me know I found the right place to cremate my son. I cannot thank them enough for their professionalism, SINCERE concern, and commitment to making sure my son was honored in the most respectful way. I hope this Funeral home values her as much as my family and I do."
McGee Family
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"Wayne and Staff, thank you for taking care of the arrangements for our mom, Exter McGee and our dad, Philip McGee. You have been great to work with during such a difficult time."
Elledge Family
Elledge Family
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"On behalf of my family, I wanted you to know how much we appreciate your handling of my husband's final arrangements. Wayne Baxter assisted & guided us through the entire process with such care & compassion. Don't know what we would have done without him! Sincerely, Colleen Elledge"
The Peterson Family
The Peterson FamilyYelp! Review - Northwest Highway 5-Stars
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"I can’t say enough about how helpful and professional Dusty Martin, the funeral director at the Aria Cremation location on NW Highway has been. From my initial call, he was kind and informative. My friend died at home while on hospice and she was picked up in about an hour after receiving the call from the hospice nurse. The person who arrived to pick her up was also very professional/respectful and allowed us to take as much time with her as we wished. When I met with Dusty the next day about arrangements, he explained the process and options available without being pushy or trying to “sell” extras. Throughout the process, he kept me informed and, for example, was careful to be certain I understood the cost of the obituary I wanted and offered some options for reducing that cost if I wished. When I stopped by for another reason and started talking about some of the problems I was having with the pictures and media I hoped to use at a memorial lunch I was planning, he not only listened patiently but offered technology advice and let me use his personal media player. I have had experience arranging cremations for four others using two other local companies, and this experience with Dusty at Aria has been by far the best one I have had."
Paula Barnes
Paula BarnesGoogle Review
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"My Daddy’s service and our family experience at Aria Northwest Highway was truly blessed. Funeral Director Dustin Martin is the kind of person that you would like to see on a more regular basis – but in his industry – you hope to not see him that often. That being said – THANK YOU DUSTIN for your unending kindness, compassion and friendship through the process. Meeting you and discussing Dallas History, Find A Grave and my Dad’s lifelong contributions to the great City of Dallas was simply wonderful! In memory of my dad James A. Dodd, Sr. – I want to personally thank you and let you know that you made everything better in that moment. Your calling to “Be There” is spot on. Aria has a one in a million guy in you! Bling Blinky of TEXAS Shout Out: God Bless You!!"
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