Audrey Payne of St. Clair Shores, Michigan passed away Friday, December 17, 2021, just days after celebrating her 96th birthday with family. She was born Audrey Gay Martin, the third of four children, on December 12, 1925, in the small town of Slab Fork, West Virginia. At age six, after her father died in a mining accident, the family moved to their farm in Maple Meadow, WV. In 1942, Audrey graduated valedictorian at Trap Hill High School.
Audrey and her sister Thelma moved to Detroit, where they did factory work as part of World War II production. Thelma introduced Audrey to Irvin (Pete) Payne, and the couple married on June 21, 1945. Pete and Audrey raised four children, and along the way, Audrey became a skilled baker, dressmaker, and gardener, even taking classes in chair caning, tailoring, and photography. Curiosity and wonder were lifelong attributes. Above all her many talents, Audrey was the consummate listener. And she remembered.
Throughout her life, Audrey proved devoted and quietly courageous, especially when her older son served in the Vietnam War and as she cared for her beloved Pete during his later years battling illness. In her understated way, Audrey was a force to be reckoned with—hiking and biking well into her 80s, faithfully worshipping at Little Zion Primitive Baptist Church, and remaining independent through two decades of widowhood. As a family, we feel privileged to have witnessed her exemplary life, we honor her calm strength, and we are comforted that Audrey is now in the presence of God.
Audrey was preceded in death by husband Pete, son Edward, parents Jim and Pearl, and siblings Howard and Gladys. She is survived by daughters Sharon (Denis) LeDuc and Nancy (Frank) Miller, son John Jay, daughter-in-law Kay, sister Thelma, grandchildren Michael (Lisa), Rebecca (Vance), David (Anna), Ann, Stephen (Rosemary), Matthew (Amy), and Margaret (Timothy), as well as many great-grandchildren, and nieces and nephews.
A visitation for Audrey will be held Sunday, December 26, 2021 from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Kaul Funeral Home, 28433 Jefferson Ave, St. Clair Shores, MI 48081. A funeral service will occur Monday, December 27, 2021 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM, 28433 Jefferson Ave, St. Clair Shores, MI 48081. A committal service will occur Monday, December 27, 2021 from 11:30 AM to 12:00 PM at Cadillac Memorial Gardens East, 38425 Garfield Road, Clinton Township, MI 48038.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.kaul-fh.com for the Payne family.
