He attended Leander High School and graduated in 1998 where he was a dedicated trainer for the football team. The players were very protective of him, and if anyone messed with Richard, they messed with the whole team! As a senior he was voted Prom King. He participated in the Special Olympics and was named Athlete of the Year in 1998, and lit the torch with Governor George Bush and Austin Mayor Kirk Watson. Richard never met a stranger and once you met him, you never forgot him.
Richard was a member of Leander Church of Christ and loved his church family very much. He was the first one ready for church every Sunday morning, and he was always looking forward to going to class and visiting with his brothers and sisters in Christ.
Richard enjoyed playing games such as canasta, chicken feet, Uno, dice, and baseball. He also loved playing tricks on everyone as much as possible. If you set your glass or phone down, it would disappear. He would insist it wasn’t him, but his sly grin would always slip through before he could no longer contain his laugh. You would often find balls or other items stuffed in your pillowcases after he would generously make everyone's bed for them. He would also put ice down your back at every opportunity and try to get his nieces and nephews in on his pranks.
His lifelong passion has always been baseball. His high school teacher instilled in him the belief that he could do anything he wanted. When someone would tell him that something was not going to happen, his reply was always “you've got to believe!”. Due to his persistence, he was invited to Spring Training by the Chicago Cubs. That first spring training led to many more which then led to lifelong friendships with many baseball players, commentators, managers, and their families. Joe Girardi, his second dad as Richard would call him, and his family were beyond special to him. When Richard’s health allowed it, and the Iowa Cubs were playing the Round Rock Express, you would find him being the Cubs batboy. He would banter with the players, coaches, mascot, fans, and sometimes give the umpires a hard time. He made friends with both teams, but everyone knew where he stood with his love for the Cubs.
Richard will most be remembered by his infectious smile. No matter how bad your day was going, if you ran into Richard, it was instantly better. If you were a lady, you would hear “you are pretty like my momma”, and some of the guys would be greeted with “hey old man”, but everyone would get a hug. If he had your phone number, you probably received many texts saying “I. Love. You.”. If you did not answer, you may have had a message saying “this is Richard Wayne Payton, call me”. His love for God showed in all aspects of his life in whatever he was doing.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents along with many other family members and friends. He is survived by his parents Dickie and Dolores. He is also survived by his siblings, Tammy (Thomas) Holy, Stephanie (Andrew) Hartwick, Brad (Jennifer) Payton, Michael (fiancé Kayla) Payton, as well as nieces and nephews, Jordan (Alana) Holy and Abigail, Jack Holy, Payton and Madyson Hartwick, Hattie Breedlove, Maverick and Caselyn Payton, Cade, Brodie and MJ Payton, Kinsley and Ella North.
The Celebration of Richard’s life will be held at Leander Church of Christ, 300 Crystal Falls Parkway, Leander, Texas 78641. Visitation will begin at 9:00 am with services beginning at 10:00 am. Following the service, the family will have a short, private burial then will return to church to visit with friends. We urge everyone to join us in the fellowship hall for refreshments and to tell Richard stories. We know everyone has one and we would love to hear them.
If you would like to send flowers, please have them delivered to the Leander Church of Christ on Thursday or Friday by 4 pm each day. In lieu of flowers, please feel free to donate to the “Brighter Days Food Pantry” through the Church. He would love to know he is still helping the community.
If you are unable to attend, you may watch the service live at https://youtube.com/live/Df49bw3suko?feature=share
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