A celebration of life for Dr. Jerry Ronald Payne, Sr., will be held Thursday, July 20, at 10 a.m. at Immanuel Baptist Church in Marshall, Texas. Speakers will include Karl Carpenter, Ronnie Payne, and David Weaver, with interment at Colonial Gardens in Marshall. A visitation for family and friends will be held Wednesday, July 19, from 6-8 p.m. at Immanuel Baptist Church.

Dr. Payne entered eternal life with his Savior on July 17, 2023, at his home in Hallsville, surrounded by his family. He was 87.

A beloved father, grandfather, and decorated musician and educator, Jerry Ronald Payne was born on Dec. 10, 1935, in Dodson, La., to Luther Maldon Payne and Opal Donnis Dulany.

He graduated from Bolton High School and attended Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, La., where he cultivated his lifelong love and God-given talent for music. He earned his bachelor's, master's and doctorate from NSU and became a music educator and performer. Jerry paid for his college expenses while playing saxophone in NSU's big band performance ensemble, "The Demonnaires."

While a student at Northwestern, Jerry met the love of his life and married Marilyn Delaine Pippen on Aug. 24, 1957. Together, he and Marilyn would enjoy nearly 57 years of marriage until she passed away from complications of Parkinson's disease in July 2014.

He entered the teaching field as a band director at Alexandria Junior High and then Alexandria Senior High before returning to his alma mater to serve as Director Bands at Northwestern. During this time, he also served his country in the United States Army National Guard and was called to active duty during the Berlin Crisis of 1961. His service in the National Guard was a great source of pride for Dr. Payne over the years.

He earned his doctorate from Northwestern as he was serving as the university's band director. After over 20 years molding and mentoring young musicians as an educator in Louisiana, Dr. Payne accepted a new and exciting challenge when he accepted the band director position in Marshall, Texas in 1977.

Dr. Payne and his family of seven – including wife Marilyn, sons Mal and Ronnie, and daughters Donnis, Melissa and Jeannie – moved to Marshall as he took over a band program that was low in numbers and historically struggling. Under Dr. Payne's direction and with a growing, dedicated staff of music educators joining the team, the Marshall "Big Red Pride" Band began to grow and improve throughout the late 1970s and into the 1980s.

The Big Red Pride quickly became a staple of Marshall, performing crowd-pleasing music and routines at football games and contests all over the state. The band won multiple Sweepstakes honors and became one of the most respected and consistently high-performing bands in the state of Texas.

Dr. Payne led the Big Red Pride for over 25 years before announcing his retirement in May of 2002. That gave him over 45 years of service as a music educator and band director in both Texas and Louisiana, a career that saw him build lasting relationships with a countless number of students who still to this day share an unbreakable bond with "Doc" that was forged through his inspirational teaching, mentorship, and shared experiences.

Upon his retirement, Doc's family and many of his close friends and former students pulled off a weekend-long, secret retirement party known covertly as just SRP - "Surprise Retirement Party. The event was held in May at Marshall High School and included hundreds of Dr. Payne's students from both Louisiana and Marshall over the years. As a retirement gift, he and Marilyn were treated to a return trip to Europe to relive some of the great memories they had experienced during his time teaching in Alexandria, when he led his band on a tour of Europe and to participate in the first International Band Festival in Vienna, Austria.

Dr. Payne has been inducted to both the Louisiana Music Educators Hall of Fame and the Texas Music Educators Hall of Fame. He was also inducted as a distinguished alumnus in the field of music to the Northwestern State University Creative and Performing Arts Hall of Fame.

Upon his retirement from teaching, Jerry devoted his life to caring for his wife, Marilyn, as she battled the effects of Parkinson's disease. The couple spent their retirement years together enjoying traveling, following their favorite baseball team, the Texas Rangers, faithfully continuing their longtime weekly Wednesday evening dinner date at Carlitos Restaurant in Longview, and following and supporting the many activities of their grandchildren. As Parkinson's began to slowly limit Marilyn's ability to travel, Jerry faithfully supported his wife as her principal caregiver and never left her side.

Although he was retired as a full-time educator, Jerry continued his passion for music with private lessons as well as performing himself with his legendary saxophone. He and other local musicians formed a jazz ensemble, "The Vintage Four," and played gigs all over East Texas. He also performed at various events as a solo artist, billing himself simply as "Dr. J and the CDs."

He and Marilyn also faithfully attended Immanuel Baptist Church, and Jerry also was a dedicated member of Rotary Club.

In the summer of 2014, Marilyn became ill and passed away on June 30, 2014. At the time of her passing, she and Jerry were just 55 days away from celebrating their 57th wedding anniversary.

Jerry moved from Marshall to Hallsville in 2017 to be closer to his daughters and grandchildren. He continued to play and listen to his music and enjoyed his time-honored traditions such as Carlitos, Dudley's Cajun Cafe, passionately watching his favorite Texas Rangers and Dallas Cowboys, and time and holidays spent with his children, grandchildren and friends. He moved in with his son Mal and daughter-in-law Regina in September 2022, and Mal and Regina were his principal caregivers until the Lord called him home.

Jerry is preceded in death by his mother, his father, his wife, and his mother-in-law, Eugenia Hensley.

Survivors include his two sons, Mal Payne and wife Regina, of Hallsville; and Ronnie Payne of Bloomington, Minn.; three daughters and sons-in-law, Donnis Henderson and husband Anthony of Hallsville; Melissa McCollum and husband Michael of Birmingham, Ala.; Jeannie Weaver and husband David of Hallsville; grandchildren, Jon Payne of Longmont, Col., and Amy Payne of Austin; Jacob Goss and wife Sue of Memphis, Tenn.; Jonah Goss and wife Diana of San Diego, Calif.; Grant Henderson of Hallsville; Morgan Payne of St. Petersburg, Fla.; Katherine McCollum and Michael McCollum of Birmingham, Ala.; Coby Weaver and wife Allie of Hallsville; Melody Weaver of Dallas; Abby Weaver and Lily Weaver of Hallsville; and Jaxon Payne, Bronwyn Payne and Charlotte Payne of Bloomington, Minn.; great-grandchildren, Rayden Weaver of Hallsville and Isabel Goss of Memphis, Tenn; one half-sister, Evelyn Annette Bailes of Seattle, Wash.; a daughter-in-law, Erin Payne of Bloomington, Minn.; one sister-in-law, Richea Shockley and husband Norman of Lincoln, Calif.; one brother-in-law, Dwain Pippen and wife Leila of DeBerry; several dear beloved family members; and a multitude of great friends, former students, and colleagues.

Active pallbearers will be Anthony Henderson, Michael McCollum, Morgan Payne, Jon Payne, Coby Weaver, Jacob Goss, Jonah Goss, Grant Henderson, and Jaxon Payne.

Honorary pallbearers are Dr. Payne's former colleagues on staff with the Big Red Pride Band: Mr. Al Hobson, Mr.  Anthony Robinson, Mr. Terry Hopkins, Ms. Josie Ross, and Ms. Beth Bienvenu.

The family is grateful for and wishes to express our sincere appreciation to Marshall Hospice of East Texas, and his personal sitters and friends, Yolonda George and Janice Robinson, for their love and care of our father during the twilight of his life.

http://northwesternstatealumni.com/payne.scholarship