John Joy Payette Jr.

He was born January 24, 1931 in Washington, D. C.

He was predeceased by his father, John J. Payette, District Manager of the Warner Brothers Theaters in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia; and his mother, Dorothy Crandall Payette whose father was a theater magnate in Washington, D.C., best known for the Tivoli and Knickerbocker Theaters. He was also predeceased by two two brothers, Richard and Robert Payette.

Dr. Payette is survived by Rebecca Tomblin Payette, his wife; his sons, John Joy Payette, III (Sheena) of Rapidan, Virginia; James Crandall Payette (Beverly) of Goochland, Virginia; and Thomas Jackson Payette (Amy K.) of Rapidan, Virginia; and his step-children, Joseph Patrick White (Kathy) of Jeffersonton, Virginia, and Stephanie Elizabeth White of Hillsboro, Oregon. He is also survived by six grandchildren, John Michael Payette, Thomas Lonergan Payette, Ellie Payette, James C. Payette, Jr., Andrea Grace Payette and Thomas Jackson Payette, II; three great-grandchildren; five step-grandchildren; eight great-step-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister, Dolores Devereaux of Berryville, Virginia; and a brother, Ronald Payette of Tucson, Arizona.

He attended school at the Sacred Heart Academy and St. Anne’s Catholic School and was altar boy at the Sacred Heart Cathedral. He graduated from Staunton Military Academy, Virginia Tech and the Medical College of Virginia (VCU).

His father bought a farm in Waterford, Virginia where he acquired his love for farming and horses. He always loved playing cowboys and airplanes. He built many model airplanes as a child and learned to fly at age 16 and received his private pilot’s license at the age of 17. He joined the National Rifle Association and received a marksmanship medal, and while he was at Staunton Military Academy, he received the Randolph Hurst medal while on the Rifle Team. At age 13 he took a correspondence course in taxidermy, preserving several animals, and his skills learned using surgical instruments and handling delicate tissue probably led him to the surgical field in medicine.

He attended high school at Staunton Military Academy 1945-1950, graduating as 2nd Lieutenant of Company B and was co-captain of the football team. He attended the Catholic Church in Staunton where he sang in the choir. He participated in intramural sports and loved boxing. He attended Virginia Tech where he majored in Animal Husbandry and was President of the Block and Bridal Club, Secretary of Alpha Zeta, was dormitory senator, a member of the German Club and was Intramural Boxing Champion, worked in the dining room as a waiter, worked in the agricultural department helping with research papers, was in Who’s Who in the American Colleges and Universities.

He attended Medical College of Virginia (VCU) 1954-1958. He externed at Stuart Circle Hospital and worked as a Lab Technician at Stuart Circle Hospital. He graduated with honors and interned at the Winchester Memorial Hospital 1958-1959 and taught chemistry to the nursing students. He returned to the Medical College of Virginia for his Residency in OB/GYN 1959-1962.

Upon completion of his residency, he opened his private practice in Culpeper, Virginia, where he was the first OB/GYN at the new Culpeper Memorial Hospital. While practicing medicine, he presented a very unusual case to the Virginia OB/GYN Society, was a member of the American Laproscopy Society, American Culposcopic Association, American Urethroscopic Association, the Wilnerness Medical Society, the Flying Physicians Association, Virginia OB/GYN Society and the Virginia Medical Society. After 31 years of practicing medicine, he retired in 1993.

Upon retiring, in the winter, he and his wife, Rebecca, taught skiing at Massanutten Ski Resort for 14 years. From May to October, he and his wife traveled the West with their horses where they camped and rode the Rockies. They organized groups to camp in the back country with outfitters, packing their gear on mules. Later in life he rekindled his interest in aviation and was a Captain in the Orange County Civil Air Patrol, serving as a mission pilot and a medical officer. He was later commissioned by the FFA as an Aviation Medical Examiner.

He always loved the outdoors, hunting, gardening and camping. He was a wonderful cook, cooking meals over an open campfire in a dutch oven.

A funeral service will be held Friday, June 17, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. at Mitchells Presbyterian Church, 12229 Mitchells Road, Mitchells, Virginia with burial immediately following in the church cemetery. A time of visitation for friends and family will be Thursday, June 16, 2016, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.at Clore-English Funeral Home, 11190 James Monroe Highway, Culpeper, Virginia 22701.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Hospice of the Piedmont, 675 Peter Jefferson Parkway, Suite 300, Charlottesville, Virginia 22911, Attention: The Rapidan Fund or Mitchells Presbyterian Church, P. O. Box 98, Mitchells, Virgina 22729.

Condolences may be given at clore-english.com. These arrangements have been entrusted to Clore-English Funeral Home.