Paul K. Payne

Paul was born on April 12, 1968 in Tulsa, Oklahoma to Terry Lee and Dianna Lynne (Harris) Payne. He was the oldest of three children. He grew up in Tulsa and graduated from Union High School. After high school, Paul attended Colorado University in Boulder, Colorado. He moved from Tulsa to Longmont in 1989. Paul’s started working at just 15 years old, mowing yards and later worked as a cook. In his early 20s, he moved to Littleton, Colorado and started his first company, Root to Branches, with a friend. Paul bought out the company and moved back to Longmont where he started a new business, St. Vrain Arbor Care.

Paul had to work so hard to get to where he was. One summer, he traveled to Alaska to work on a fishing boat to earn money to pay for another year of school at CU. That was the year of the Exxon oil spill and unfortunately, Paul was only able to earn enough to get back to Longmont. He never gave up.

Paul moved to Colorado because he loved the mountains. He enjoyed climbing and hiking in the mountains until his body told him it was time to slow down. He loved to fish all over Colorado, Montana, Mexico and Belize. His passion was for fly-fishing, just like his grandpa, Anderson. He enjoyed fishing with his friend, Becker. His favorite and most loved fly-fishing partner was his daughter, Teagan. He was in heaven teaching her to do something he loved so much. Teagan was his heart.

Paul was a great cook. His signature dish was a wonder duck with a reduced wine sauce. He loved to work in his yard. He was also a great storyteller. He loved to listen to people and learn their stories, as well. He would learn a lot about people and how much alike they were. He loved so many things in this life but there was nothing he loved more than spending time with his daughter.

Paul and Teagan would get together and share stories on Fridays, over their vanilla hot drinks and coffee lattes. They would spend the time just talking and sharing and being together. He was so proud of his daughter. Paul was giving his all to prove to Teagan that he loved her most in this world and that he could do it.

Paul was a hardworking man of strong conviction. Giving up was never an option for Paul. He was also kind and gentle. He was a good man who wasn’t ready to leave this world. He was a loving father, son, and brother. He was so deeply loved by his family and friends and he will be so dearly missed. From Paul’s mother, Dianna, “I miss my son so very much and I know how hard he tried. Yes, son, we will see each other again. I love you Pauli.”

Paul was preceded in death by his father, Terry Lee Payne. He is survived by his daughter, that he loved more than anything in the world, Teagan Diana Slaton-Payne, his mother, Dianna Harris Payne, his brother, Terry E. Payne, and his sister, Jennifer Shelley Payne. He is also survived by his aunt & uncle, Ronnie and Mary Harris, aunt Pamela S. Frederick, cousins, Julie & Mike Dupont, Mikaya Dupont, Chelsea Dupont, Joshua Dupont, Mary Frederick, Kari Frederick, and David E. Frederick.

No public services will be held at this time. The family will hold a private Celebration of Life for Paul at a later date. Memorial Contributions can be made to Alexander Dawson High School for Teagan’s schooling. Please send donations to Alexander Dawson High School, 10455 Dawson Dr, Lafayette, CO 80026, for Teagan Diana Slayton-Payne. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy are appreciated and may be shared at www.ahlbergfuneralchapel.com for the Payne Family.