Kenneth Wayne Payne, 94, of Waxahachie, Texas, passed away on August 27, 2021. He was born in Margaret, Texas to Coy Lee and Eula Mae Hagar Payne on May 18, 1927, the third of six children.

Kenneth grew up on a farm near Margaret, outside the town of Crowell, Texas. He and his siblings rode the horse to the small schoolhouse and helped their dad on the farm, growing cotton, raising chickens and cows. Kenneth left high school to follow his older brother into the Navy, lying about his age to get accepted. He was stationed at the Naval Base in San Diego when World War II ended. Awarded the Victory Medal and the American Campaign Medal, he also received his GED while in the Navy.

After returning home, he entered Decatur Baptist College in Decatur, Texas, getting his Associate's Degree. He also married Peggy Burton of Decatur in 1948. He began his education career in Crosbyton as a teacher and coach, but soon moved back to the North Texas area serving as coach/principal in Paradise, Texas. From there the growing family moved to Ponder, where he attended North Texas State University in Denton while beginning his first job as a school district superintendent. He received his Bachelor's degree at NTSU and later his Master's. He served Ponder from 1959-1965, moving on to Italy ISD as superintendent in 1965-1967, then to Keller ISD from 1967-1981.

Kenneth married Pat Currie in 1985 and moved to Houston where they attended Hotel Management School. Pat then managed the Best Western Hotel in Freeport, while Dad accepted a job as superintendent of Damon Schools. He loved the coast and especially his dune buggy that he carried all the grandkids in whenever they made it down to visit. Kenneth and Pat moved to Waxahachie, Texas in 2000 to be closer to their kids and grandkids and continued working in hotel management until his retirement.

Kenneth loved his morning walks, coffee with his buddies, happy hour at Chili's, reading, dancing, playing Dumb Bunny Bridge, traveling with Pat and spending time with his family. He was active in his church and Sunday School all his life, often acting as Lay Leader in the small town churches he was a member of.

Kenneth is preceded in death by his parents, Coy and Eula Mae Payne, his brothers, H.C.Payne, Coy Nelson Payne, sisters Alyne Rettig, Anna Laura Eavenson, and grandson David Payne.

He is survived by his loving wife, Pat, of 36 years; his daughters, Kathy Herrin and husband, Tom, of Spicewood, Texas; Belinda Newman and her husband Robert, of Keller; Kendra Lopez and her husband Charles of Keller; sons Steven Payne and his wife Gale of Fort Worth; Russell Payne and his wife Mary of Granbury; step-daughter Susan Reinke and her husband Carl of Mesquite; step-son Jeff Currie of Dallas; twenty-five grandchildren – Kris and Renee Herrin, Amy and Cuatro Kowalski, Jacob and Randi Payne, T.C. Payne, Monica and Justin Monk, Lara and Matthew Yates, Adam and Carli Newman, Aaron and Misty Payne, Davine and Lucas Grainger, Brittany and Matt Massey, Bryana and Phil Collier, Lindsey and John Hunt, Chris and Lindsay Reinke, and 26 great-grandchildren.

Kenneth will be laid to rest in the DFW National Cemetery.

The family requests that memorials be made to the Meals on Wheels/VNA organization.