Robert R. Payne
August 09, 1938 - January 12, 2021
Obituary
Robert's Livestream Service will begin at 10 a.m CST on Saturday, Jan.16, 2021.
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ROTONDA WEST, Fla. - Robert R. Payne, age 82, of Rotonda West, Fla., passed away on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021, at St Mary’s Hospital. He was born on Aug. 9, 1938, in Madison, the son of Alvin and Nora (Lund) Payne. Robert graduated from Sun Prairie High School and Devry University in 1957. He married Harriet Markwart on July 28, 1962, in Madison.
Robert worked for Auto Marketing Services until his retirement in 2000. He was a member of the Rotary Club and the Lutheran Church of the Living Christ in Madison.
Robert was very social and had a great sense of humor; always with a joke to tell. He kept busy tinkering and working on stuff, making sure his kids kept up with him. He enjoyed every minute he spent helping his children fixing up their houses. Robert had a fondness for convertibles. He loved to stop in and supervise at his son’s auto repair shop, Gary Willie's Auto Service in Oregon. He enjoyed making sure all was going well and everything was correct.
Family was very important. He and Harriet loved to travel and enjoyed their trips to Hawaii, Norway, Ireland, Alaska and Australia. Robert was always involved in his grandchildren's lives and loved to entertain his grandkids while they helped him garden, trim trees and work outside. He enjoyed playing cards and board games and being on the water while boating or fishing.
Robert is survived by his son, David Payne; daughters, Kathy Gant and Carla (Scott) Bollinger; significant other, Lois Skinner; sister, Betty (George) Conom; brother, Danny (Jean) Payne; granddaughters, Jessica (Nick) Konrad, Taylor (Nathan) Moe and Aleaha Payne; grandsons, Tyler (Kateyln) Payne, Hunter Payne, Mike (Rachel) Bollinger and Aaron Bollinger; and great-grandchildren, Mason Bosen, Kinsley Konrad, Logan and Luke Payne. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Harriet Payne; and son, Andrew Payne.
Private services will be held. Family and friends who wish to view services via LIVE STREAM, may visit Robert’s obituary page at www.gundersonfh.com at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021. Burial will be held at Highland Memory Gardens. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.
Gunderson East
Funeral & Cremation Care
5203 Monona Drive
(608) 221-5420
Events
Livestream
Sat Jan 16, 2021 @ 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM CDT
Lake Accotink Park • 5660 Hemming Ave, Springfield, VA 22151
Photos
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Memories
JC
Jamie Conom
Other •
My thoughts and prayers are with you Kathy, Carla and David. Your Dad was a great guy! Jamie Conom
BC
Brian Conom
Other •
So very saddened, uncle Bob was one of the most positive people that I know.....
RB
Regina Behm
Other •
Many thoughts and prayers of strength and peace to you all. I have many fond memories,from my childhood, of Bob and living on Greenway Trail. Such a kind hearted person. Our grandparents lived states away and he and Harriet felt like our Wisconsin Grandparents. Love and our condolences, The Behm Family (Gina Blair)
PN
Paul Nachreiner
Other •
Bob Payne was an early Pioneer of the Cellular phone business in Madison Wisconsin. Bob was hired in the late 80's by Gary Waldhart, the President of Auto Marketing Inc., now known as AMS. Bob very quickly assumed a leadership role and was directly responsible for the growth and success of AMS as one of the larger independent dealers of Mobile telephone services in the market. He and Gary were very successful in the sale of larger corporate accounts and saved many businesses a lot of money. He was also a visible fixture in the store and welcomed many customers onto the retail show floor. The customers enjoyed Bob very much and appreciated his good sense of humor. Bob retired from the business in 2000. Paul Nachreiner President AMS
TB
Travis Blair
Other •
I was sad to hear of Bob’s passing. I’ve known him as early as I have memories.
When I was 6, he would tell us to stop playing in his garden. But before we would go, he would offer a fresh tomato, right off the vine, before we went.
I remember telling him I didn’t like vegetables. He said “Don’t you know this is a fruit?!” That was when I had my first fresh garden tomato. We would rave about these tomatoes. And a year later when we moved, Bob offered to lend us his tiller so we could start a garden of our own. That continued for years. My dad and I would make an annual trip over to his house, Bob would have the riding mower ready on the driveway, and we would ride the mower all the way home to our garden. Years later, we moved 25 minutes away, Bob came out to visit the new property. He noticed we didn’t have a garden yet. So, Bob lent us his tiller once again.
This year I planted my first garden. I thought about how nice it would be to have a tiller. I thought about Bob. Then I remembered those amazing tomatoes. I told my 8 yr old son about them. But he reminded me that he didn’t like tomatoes. Later that summer he tried one of the first ones from our garden and said “that doesn’t taste like fruit”. I thought “well, not everybody is lucky enough to grow up next to Bob Payne”
Bob-Thank you for always letting me have an Oreo from your cookie jar, for giving me my first ride in a convertible, for helping me buy the coolest cell phone on the AMS floor when I was 16, and for all of the memories in between. You will be missed. And don’t worry, I’ll keep working on my tomatoes.
Love, Travis Blair
JB
Justin Blair
Other •
To this day I still tell my kids about my favorite ride: I've been on rollar coasters, big rigs, hot air balloons, and race cars. But my favorite ride of all time was the 3 mile trip between Greenway and Piedmont on the back of Bob's riding mower with Bob at the wheel, smiling and waving at the cars that passed us by. I'll miss you, Bob. -Justin Blair