Elsie Payne Graham

Elsie Payne Collins Graham, 90, passed into God’s hands with her family by her side February 26, 2015. Elsie was a dedicated wife, loving mother, grandmother, great and great-great-grandmother. She was a wonderful woman who could make friends everywhere she went and never met a stranger. Elsie was born in Wanchese, NC to Julia Baum Payne and Zenith Fearing Payne. Elsie grew up in the Bonnie Home of Norfolk, VA and went to Central Baptist Church. She married her first love Warren Collins and built a family in Norfolk, VA. She loved traveling, fishing, bowling and playing cards with friends and family. She met her second love of her life, Jim Graham, while duckpin bowling and they enjoyed their grandchildren and each other. Elsie is survived by her two sons, Warren Daniel Collins, Jr. and wife Glenda of Norfolk and Robert Norman Collins and wife Susan of Virginia Beach; two sister-in-laws, Beatrice Stewart of Norfolk and Dolly Stogner of Linville Falls, NC and 2 brother-in-laws, Billy Collins of Chesapeake and Clarence Collins of Panama City, FL; four grandchildren, Chalice Bell of Chesapeake, Michael Collins of Kodak, TN, Sarah Syfu of Arlington, VA and Robert Collins, Jr. of Norfolk; eleven great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; and several nieces and nephews. Elsie was predeceased by her two husbands, Warren D. Collins and James B. Graham and her three brothers, Zenith F. Payne, Jr., Nathan O. Payne and Thomas Payne. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 7, 2015 at 11:00 am at Smith & Williams Funeral Home in Norfolk with Rev. Tenney Parish. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Shriners Hospital c/o 645 Woodlake Drive, Chesapeake, VA 23320 or Central Baptist Church c/o 701 W. Olney Rd. Norfolk, VA 23507.