Lee Payne

Spring Creek, Curnal Lee Payne, age 70, passed away on Tuesday, January 18, 2022, at Mission Memorial Campus.

Lee was a lifelong resident of Spring Creek and was a son of the late Isaac and Georgia Greene Payne.  In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a great-grandson, Jaxson Gage Watford; three brothers, James and Robert Payne and an infant brother, Edward Payne; two sisters, Shirley Ledford and Nina Williamson; and an Aunt Ollie Duggan who claimed Lee as her son; three brothers-in-law, Bobby Roberts, Gary Moore and Mack Rathbone.  Lee grew up in a sharecropper family of 12 brothers and sisters.  He obtained several degrees in automotive and industrial maintenance and retired from the Biltmore Estate as a mechanic.  Lee was a member of Crabtree Baptist Church for 9 years where he served as a Sunday School Teacher and Deacon.  He was a former member of Lusk Chapel Baptist for 34 years where he also served as a deacon and Sunday School Teacher for many years and Flats Baptist Church for eight years where he was a Sunday School Teacher.  Lee was an EMT, Firefighter and Chaplin for Spring Creek Volunteer Fire Department for 15 years.  He loved spreading the word of our Lord and talking about the bible, he also enjoyed raising cattle and working on the farm.

Lee is survived by his wife of 50 years, Edda Moore Payne; daughter, Tonia Justice (Nathan), of Crabtree; two sons, Edward Payne (April), of Spring Creek and Bobby Payne (Kelly) of Marshall; five sisters, Ethel Rathbone, Mary Worley (Billy), Betty Roberts, Joyce Gosnell (Leonard) and Debbie Johnson (Chris); brother, Charles Payne (Peggy); two sisters-in-law, Linda and Jean Payne; nine grandchildren, Kaylee Payne, September McRae (Tim), Dakota Watford (Desi), Jackson Justice, Colton Payne, Amelia Payne, Mason Payne (Arianne), Katie Coffey (Colton) and Bella Payne; two great-grandsons, Brantlee McRae and Atticus Payne; special family, Dennis and Doris Shetley; several nieces and nephews; two special cousins, Mike Davis and Edward Payne (VA); and his special dog, Jasper.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 23, 2022, at Crabtree Baptist Church with Reverend Josh Evans and Reverend David Moore officiating.  Burial will follow at Woody Cemetery in Spring Creek.  Serving as pallbearers will be Ed Payne, Bobby Payne, Dakota Watford, Colton Payne, Mike Davis and Nathan Justice; honorary pallbearers will be Chris Shetley, Marty Shetley, Chuck Cathey, Edward Payne (Virginia), Michael Payne, Colton Coffey, and Tim McRae.  The family will receive friends from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 22, 2022 at Wells Funeral Home of Waynesville.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Spring Creek Volunteer Fire Department, 13131 NC 209, Hot Springs, NC  28743 or Woody Cemetery, 555 Howard Moore Road, Hot Springs, NC 28743.

The care of Mr. Payne has been entrusted to Wells Funeral Home of Waynesville.