George Nelson Payne

George N. Payne, Jr. died at Matthews Medical Center on May 23, 2014. George was preceded in death by his parents, George N. Payne, Sr. and Grace Lee Payne and his wife, Zana Harris Payne and grandson, Joshua D. Payne. George was born in Winston Salem, NC, but when he was 6 months old, his father was transferred to Charlotte by his employer, Western Union Company. George grew up in Charlotte and attended Elizabeth Elementary School, Alexander Graham Jr. High School and graduated from Central High School in 1942. He attended Clemson College on a football scholarship until he entered the Navy in December of 1942. After training in the US, he served in the Pacific as a radioman/gunner on a PBM plane attached to Squadron 1, VPB-18. He returned to Charlotte in December, 1945. He and Zana were married in May 1945. After he was discharged from the Navy, he enrolled at N.C. State College and graduated in 1949 with a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree. He and Zane with their first child returned to Charlotte where he began a life-long association with a new consulting engineering firm called Mechanical Engineers, Inc. which became United Engineering Group, Inc. He retired in 1984 as vice president but continued to serve as a part-time consultant for several years. He was a registered Professional Engineer and was a member of several engineering organizations: The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers, The Professional Engineers of North Carolina, The American Society of Plumbing Engineers and The Society of Fire Protection Engineers. George is survived by three children: Michael C. Payne and wife, Donna, of Hamptonville, NC, Marcia Payne Wooten and husband, Bill, also of Hamptonville and Patrick S. Payne and wife, Jayne, of Charlotte; four grandchildren: Justin Clay Wooten of Los Angeles, CA, Kerry Wooten Mitchell and husband, Daniel, of Randleman, NC, Ana Grace Payne of Charlotte and Alexis Riddle of Charlotte, NC; sisters, Johnsie P. Barefoot of Charlotte, and Barbara P. Lum and husband, Carl, of Dunedin, FL. Also, cousins, Patricia L. White and husband, Peter, of Brownfield, ME, Stephanie Mann and husband, Douglas, of Orinda, CA, and Jeter Leroy Lee, Jr. and wife, Betty, of Black Mountain, NC and a number of nieces and nephews. He is also survived by his companion, confidant and dear friend, Marguerite Johnson Muse, and Nita Ferraro, widow of his good friend from Navy days, Tony Ferraro, of Denver, CO. A service to celebrate Mr. Payne's life will be held 2:00 PM Wednesday, May 28, 2014 at Sharon Presbyterian Church. The family will receive friends following the service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to: The American Lung Association, The American Diabetics Association, The American Kidney Association, Beginnings for Parents of Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing or Sharon Presbyterian Church.