William C. Payne

Funeral services for William C. Payne will be held Friday, December 31, 2010 at 2:00 PM at the Parks Brothers Funeral Home Chapel in Okemah with Pastor Eddy Dye officiating. William C. Payne was born July 27, 1937 to Knox and Gladys Payne at Spickard’s Clinic in Okemah. He graduated from Okemah High School in May of 1955 and enrolled at OSU where he later earned a BS degree in electrical engineering. After his years at OSU, he entered the U.S. Army as a Second Lieutenant in the Army Ordinance Corps supporting Hawk Guided Missile Systems in South Korea and Europe. Upon returning to the States he was assigned as an instructor at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. After five years service in the Army, Capt. Payne was honorably discharged. He then entered the University of Alabama as an assistant instructor while working on his master’s degree in mathematics. Upon completion of his maters, he began his career as an engineer with Western Electric in Winston Salem, North Carolina. He was transferred to Glasgow, Montana where he helped support the U.S. Antiballistic Missile System at Glasgow Air Force Base. When the U.S. did away with the ABM System, Bill was transferred into Southwestern Bell Telephone (later AT&T) in San Antonio, Texas where he became the district engineer for the San Antonio Metropolitan District. When he retired they hired two people to take his place. After retiring from AT&T he worked for Woodcraft as a sales clerk and taught cabinet making and wood turning as ways to immerse himself in one of his many hobbies. A few of these included leather working, stereo photography and working with stained glass. Bill was very involved in his church. He was on the church council, taught classes and was the congregation president. He was an active member of the Habitat for Humanity and a group leader in AT&T’s Pioneers which is a group of AT&T employees who volunteer to build projects that benefit the community. One such project was an outdoor science lab at an elementary school. His skills and leadership during that project earned him a nomination for San Antonio’s Man of the Year. He is preceded in death by his parents. Bill is survived by one brother, Bob Payne and wife Marialice of Oklahoma City; three nephews, Billy Payne of Oklahoma City, Mike Barlow and wife Tonya of Denver, CO and Robert Jr. of Okemah. He also leaves three nieces, Leesha Crowson and husband Freddie of Marlow, Oklahoma, Delissa Payne of Oklahoma City and Jennifer Smith and husband Tommy of Davis, Oklahoma. Services will be under the direction of Parks Brothers Funeral Home, Okemah.

William C. Payne

July 27, 1937 - December 29, 2010