Tomasine Payne

Tomasine Payne, of Addison, Texas, passed away on March 12, 2020 after a long battle with cancer.

She was born in Weatherford, Texas, on October 14, 1942, the daughter of Mildred and Keith Whitt. Tomasine grew up and attended school in Gorman, Texas. She obtained a B.A. degree from the University of Texas in 1967 and taught at the Texas School for the Deaf, Austin, Texas through 1977. She entered East Texas State University in 1977 where she obtained her Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Counseling in 1981. After obtaining such degrees, Tomasine moved to Dallas to work in the Dallas Independent School District, first as a special education teacher at Carter High School and then as a counselor at Mt. Auburn Elementary and John B. Hood Middle School. At Carter High School, she met her future husband, track coach Eddie Payne. Tomasine and Eddie were dedicated to and lived their careers, cats, her dog Billy, gardening and traveling, especially to Las Vegas to visit their dear friends, Mary Dale and David Sanchez. They lived life to the fullest until Eddie died of cancer in 2006.

Tomasine brought joy to all around her, especially to Eddie, her brother and his wife, and her devoted friends, Mary Dell Sanchez of Las Vegas, Nevada, Susie Fagg of Addison, Texas, and Gail Kirkam of Dallas, Texas. A special note of gratitude and appreciation is extended Debbie Aligah, her caregiver since Fall 2018.

Tomasine is survived by her brother, Robert K. Whitt, his wife Joan Whitt, of Midland, Texas, and their children and grandchildren; numerous cousins including John Whitt, and his wife Martha Jo of Gonzales, Texas, Marilyn Snell and husband Dan of Portland, Maine and John Shell of Stephenville, Texas and her sister-in-law, Tommie Nell Flegal of Norman, Oklahoma.

A memorial service will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to SPCA of North Texas, 2400 Lone Star Drive, Dallas, Texas 75212.