Colleen Huennekens Payne

Colleen Huennekens Payne, 66, died on December 28, 2024. She was born in Los Angeles on August 25, 1958, to Wisconsinites Donna Croal Huennekens (1929-1999) and Fred Henry Huennekens (1926-2021).

Colleen grew up in Richmond, VA, where she attended Saint Gertrude High School and spent summers at the Bon Air Community Association. She then attended Radford University and later Virginia Commonwealth University. She met William (Billy) Payne, the love of her life, at a Super Bowl Party in 1984, and they were married at the Cannon Memorial Chapel at the University of Richmond on April 23, 1988.

Colleen later moved to Cary, NC where she raised her children, enjoyed a successful sales career, and became an integral member of several communities, including in the Regency neighborhood and as a parishioner and catechist at St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church. Colleen loved to cook, spend time with her children, watch Jeopardy, and cheer on her beloved Green Bay Packers.

Colleen is survived by her husband Billy of Cary, NC; sons Chandler Payne (Caroline) of São Paulo, Brazil and Austin Payne (Allison Davis) of Denver, CO; daughter Averill Rosenberger (Joseph) of Raleigh, NC; brothers Hon. Kevin Huennekens (Mary Ellen) of Saluda, VA and Fred Huennekens (Linda) and Michael Huennekens (Karen) of Richmond, VA; sister Shannon Mitchell (Doug) of Siler City, NC; and dozens of nieces, nephews and cousins.

A celebration of Colleen’s life will be held at The Umstead Hotel in Cary, NC on Saturday, March 15, at 2pm. The family requests that guests wear bright colors in honor of Colleen. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Croal Open to Fight MS, Inc. electronically at the link below or by mailing a check to: Croal Open to Fight MS, Inc., 19260 Warwick Dr, Brookfield, WI 53045.

https://events.nationalmssociety.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=591597

Memorial tributes and messages of sympathy can be left by clicking the "Add a Memory" box below. Brown Wynne of Cary is honored to serve the Payne family.