Finis Graham Payne Jr.

Finis Graham Payne, Jr., age 95, went home to be with the Lord on May 28,2019, at his home, surrounded by his family. He was born November 30,1923, in Powderly, Texas, to Finis Graham and Stella Josephine Payne. He graduated from Powderly High School, and worked as a surveyor and house builder before being drafted in to the Army for World War II. When the Army learned that he had building experience, he was assigned to help train new enlistees in construction skills. Even when his unit was shipped out overseas, he remained in the states, training new men to do carpentry. He later went on to supervise projects in Texas in Wichita Falls, El Paso, Canyon, Canadian, Amarillo, Dallas, Odessa, and San Antonio. Also, in Goodwill, OK; Columbia, SC; Rapid City, SD; Wichita, KS; Kansas City, MO; Oakland, CA; Atlanta, GA; Nashville ,TN; South Haven, MS; Memphis, TN (where he supervised the construction of the National Headquarters for Ducks Unlimited), Northeast, MD; and Cookeville, TN. The bulk of his professional life was spent with Henry C. Beck General Contractors, Kugler-Morris General Contractors, and TEAM Group Ltd. before retiring after more than 50 years in the commercial construction industry. His largest project was the 41 story First National Bank Building in Atlanta, GA. In the Dallas area, he supervised construction for the American Heart Association, Presbyterian Hospital, Cowboy Headquarters in Irving, the Republic Insurance building, the Blue Cross building, and the American Airlines freight terminal at DFW airport. He was a member of the Casa View Baptist Church. He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Nell, his son Steve and wife Wynema, and daughter Debra and best friend Barb Maier. Also surviving grandsons, Steve II and girlfriend Noel McCue, Seth Payne and wife April, and Spenser Payne and wife Courtney. The family would also like to acknowledge their friends and neighbors of 29 years, Joe and Rey Wattron, and sons John and Matthew. Services will be held at 10a.m. on Saturday, June 1, at Grove Hill Funeral Home with visitation Friday, May 31, from 5-7pm. His son, Reverend Steve Payne and Reverend Harvey Tingle, will officiate. Interment will follow in Long Cemetery in Powderly, Texas.