Joseph Dunn Payne

Joseph Dunn Payne II, born April 16, 1908, died October 3, 2002, at the age of 94. Mr. Payne is survived by his wife Grace L. Payne; his son Joseph D. Payne, III, his wife JoAnn Alford Payne, of Los Angeles, CA; and daughters, Marsha Payne of Hannibal, MO; and Rebecca Payne Cartall and husband Bryan P. Cartall of San Antonio. Mr. Payne is also survived by grandchildren Rachel, Rebecca, Sarah and Susanna Payne; and Clay, Quinn and Tailia Cartall of San Antonio. Born in Iowa to farming parents, Joe Payne was a remarkable man. Growing up on the family farm near Adel, Iowa, Joe and his brother Bill spent their youth as outdoorsmen, hunting and fishing along the Coon River. A gifted athlete throughout high school, he went to college with great promise as an up-and-coming football and basketball player. However, when the Great Depression hit the country and threatened to cause the loss of the family farm, both Joe and his brother Bill returned home and spent the next seven years toiling selflessly to save it. The brothers each worked long hours until they had earned enough money to pay off the mortgage on the farm. A tireless entrepreneur, Joe knew that he wasn't destined to be a farmer. He started a business ferrying automobiles from the Midwest to California where he sold them in the pre-war 30's. Later he took a job with the Lockheed Aircraft Company and built airplanes until he tired of the corporate world. Knowing the nation would change post-war, he left Lockheed, and with a $10, 000 loan from his father-in-law started what would become the largest diaper and linen services in Los Angeles. After selling the business in 1977, he invested in real estate holdings. Never daunted by the prospect of new endeavors, he sought new challenges into his nineties. Joe was a member of the Bel-Aire Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles and later the First Presbyterian Church of San Antonio. He was a Rotarian for more than fifty years, and a Paul Harris Fellow. An avid golfer, he was a member of Lakeside Country Club in Los Angeles, and after moving to San Antonio joined Oak Hills Country Club, where he played golf until in his nineties. His life revolved around his faith in God, and he was never shy about telling anyone interested in his success that all the credit was due to God. He was a remarkable man who led a good and godly life and will be greatly missed.