Roger L. Payne passed away on December 30, 2023 at home with his family by his side. He was 80 years old.
Roger was born in Shelby, Ohio to Ned E. and Phyllis G. (Klein) Payne on March 22, 1943. A 1961 graduate of Shelby High School, he then attended The Ohio State University for a couple of years before deciding to “transfer” to what he referred to as the College of Hard Knocks. He worked for a short time at the Shelby Salesbook and Ohio Seamless Tube “Tuby”. Following in his father’s footsteps, Roger then went to work for the US Postal Service starting out as a letter carrier in Shelby and working his way up to Postmaster in various cities. He retired from the Post Service and was proud to get his first retirement check at age 55. After retirement he enjoyed working with his son, Randy, at Adena and his son, Kevin, doing land surveying work. He said those were some of the best working years of his life and looked forward to each of those days.
Roger was proud to be a member of the Buckeye Central School Board for 19 years. As member of the school board, he had good memories of pulling the rope on the plow to break ground on the first Buckeye Central football field. He was also influential on the design and construction of the new Buckeye Central school.
Roger had many hobbies and activities that he enjoyed in his free time. Some of them included going to West Virginia four-wheeling with one of his best friends, raising livestock and always making sure they had a clean bed to sleep in, and working around the farm. He loved to spend time outdoors cleaning up the woods and cutting firewood to sell to his loyal customers. Most of all he enjoyed watching his grandchildren in all their activities and rarely missed an event.
Roger is surviving by his high school sweetheart, Mary Ann (Southard) Payne, whom he married April 4, 1964. This April they would have been married 60 years. Together they raised three children: Randy (Lisa) Payne and their children Randa Payne and Ryan Payne; Tammy (Mark) Gwirtz and their children Megan (Quinton) Hiler and Josh Gwirtz; and Kevin (Kim) Payne and their children Madelyn Payne and Nolan Payne. Also surviving are his brother: Bob (Sue Ann) Payne and sister-in-law: Sally (Jim) Dunbar. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister-in-law and brother-in-law: Janet and Ron Knight.
The family would like to thank the nurses at OhioHealth Shelby Hospital Infusion Clinic and Pathways Hospice.
Family and friends are welcome on Wednesday, January 3, 2024 from 4-7 pm at the Penwell Turner Funeral Home, 168 West Main Street, Shelby, where funeral services will be held on Thursday, January 4, 2023 at 10:30 am. Fr. Jeremy Miller will officiate the services with burial following in Oakland Cemetery, Shelby. Memorial contributions may be made to Special Olympics Ohio Crawford County Chargers, 1630 East Southern Avenue, Bucyrus, Ohio 44820.
Online condolences may be left on Roger’s obituary on the funeral home’s website, PenwellTurner.com, or their Facebook page, Facebook.com/PenwellFuneral.