Jan Edward Payne

Major (Ret) Jan Edward Payne passed away Monday night at his home in Yorktown, Virginia. Jan was born on March 15, 1946, in West Point, Georgia. He is survived by his devoted wife of 53 years, Terry, daughter Stephanie Harbin, son Russell Edward, grandsons, Avery, Aidan, Mason, Corbin, and granddaughter, Adelle. He is preceded in death by his parents, Verna and Naomi Payne, and brother, Benjamin Lee Payne.

Jan lived life with a tangible passion. This insatiable desire for adventure would lead him and Terry all over the world. He was a jack-of-all-trades, whose many talents included wood-working, gunsmithing, scuba diving and hang gliding. He rode motorcycles, played the piano, performed magic tricks, and flew airplanes and helicopters.

Jan grew up in the small town of Lanett, Alabama. On his 16th birthday, his father gave him a mortar trowel to lay brick. He laid thousands of bricks that would be the foundation of his childhood home in Lanett, Alabama. Jan was a lifeguard at the local pool and a high school state champion pole vaulter. He attended Jacksonville State University where he met the love of his life, Terry. A summer afternoon on June 12, 1968, he whispered in her ear, “If you want to get married, come with me.” And so, they did.

Jan earned a bachelor’s degree in education, and he was commissioned into the U.S. Army as a Second Lieutenant. He served for 20 years as a helicopter instructor pilot and rose to the rank of major. After tours in Germany, Texas, Alabama, New York, and South Korea, he retired with his family to Yorktown, Virginia. His retirement was short-lived after Terry submitted his teaching application. He joined her as a middle school science teacher and for the next ten years, they taught in adjacent classrooms and coached the school’s softball team.

After teaching, he developed an interest in computers and technology. He became a Microsoft Certified Engineer and worked as a Network Administrator for York County Schools for another 11 years. In 2009, he officially retired.

Over the next two years, he and Terry loved to golf. They went on dozens of scuba diving trips in the Caribbean and made a cross-country road trip. Even after a debilitating stroke in 2010, Jan continued to live life to the fullest. He never gave up. He never stopped and his passion never waned. During this time, he and Terry would make another cross-country road trip, take a cruise, and visit Niagara Falls.

The part of Jan that shines so much brighter than the things he accomplished in life was the love he held behind it all. He loved his family and friends with the same passion that was at the center of his being. He would want you to know how much he loves you and in parting remind you to tell those you love, that you do.

He left these words years ago on a Post It note for Terry. It reads, “Sleep well love. Know with confidence that as I close my eyes to sleep, my last thoughts will be of you. I love you with all the power my soul can generate. How can one man be so happy?”

A Visitation will be held at Parklawn Wood Funeral Home, 2551 N. Armistead Ave, Hampton, Sunday, December 12th at 12:00pm. Followed by a Celebration of Life at 2:00pm and Military graveside service at 3:00pm at Parklawn Memorial Park.