Gordon Leeman Payne

Gordon Leeman Payne was born December 25, 1924, in Dallas, Texas, to his parents Chara Louise and Alec Payne. He passed away on February 21, 2018, at his home, in Duncanville, Texas, with his nieces from California and wonderful hospice people in attendance. Gordon grew up in Dallas and spent a year homesteading as a child with his mom, dad, his brother, Mickey, and his eldest brother W.L. with his new wife Bill, in Arkansas. They felled trees to make a road to a clearing where they built a one room log cabin where all 6 of them lived. Gordon remembered this experience as crowded and “not much fun!” Gordon’s older brother, Mickey, teased him until Gordon grew taller and stronger than Mickey and then Gordon says he only had to win one fight and the brothers got along fine after that!

Gordon entered the Merchant Marines and gave “honest and faithful service to his country” from December 7, 1941 to December 31, 1946 when he was honorably discharged. It was on the ships in the Pacific where the loudness of the guns caused the profound hearing loss that plagued him throughout his life. When Gordon returned from his World War II service, his mom and her friend introduced their children to each other and Gordon said he knew right away that Mary Virginia Hudson would be the love of his life! They married on January 5, 1946, and lived in Dallas most of their almost 70 years of marriage when Virginia preceded Gordon in death on December 10, 2015. His father and mother, Alec and Chara Payne, and both of his brothers, Mickey and W.L. Wilson also preceded Gordon in death.

For years, Gordon was an avid golfer with over 195 individual and 4 complete sets of golf clubs in his two multi-car garages where he stored some of his extensive car collection including two classic Jaguars as well as his large model planes that he built and flew for years. Gordon and Virginia loved collecting antiques and their home is a testimony to their expertise. Gordon’s love for dogs is legendary and his pets always held a special spot in his life. It was rare that he could sit in a chair without at least one dog on his lap at all times!

He is survived by his nieces, his brother W.L.’s two daughters, Janet Wilson Mulder and Barbara Wilson Revak from California, and Virginia’s brother’s daughter, Brenda Hudson Flanigan of Dallas.

Services will be held at Laurel Land Funeral Home and Memorial Park on Tuesday, February 27, 2018, at 2:00 p.m.