Lt. Col. John G. Payne, Jr., USMC Retired

Lt. Col. John G. Payne, Jr., USMC Retired, passed on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. He was 58 and a resident of Gulfport.

John started life as a service brat. His mother, Bonita K. Smith Payne, had been an Air Force nurse and he was born in Sharon, Pennsylvania on September 13, 1967. His father, John G. Payne, was an Air Force pilot and was on foreign duty in Saudi Arabia at the time. When the father returned, John, Jr., began the first of his many long travels going by car to George AFB, Victorville, California.

While his father was on active duty, John, Jr., lived in Hubbard, Ohio; Prattville, Alabama; and Oxon Hill, Maryland. Like many service brats he had to learn to meet many new people, make many new friends at new schools and still do well in his studies and new found musical talents. He began grammar school in Prattville and then moved to Oxon Hill. While there he did well in studies and was also the star quarterback for a Pee Wee football team league. His little team won the fall championship that year.

When his dad left active duty for the Air Force Reserves in 1976, John’s many talents began to bloom. The family moved back to Mississippi where John, Jr., continued to do well in school and music. Coming out of Byram High School, John received a one-year scholarship to Millsaps College, Jackson, Mississippi, then followed that with a three-year band scholarship to the University of Mississippi, Ole Miss, Band.

While he loved music, his serious major at Ole Miss was Journalism and he finished with that degree. He had a six month assignment with the then Attorney General Mike Moore. He helped develop an educational program for high school age kids which warned of the dangers of drugs that were starting to come into Mississippi. Following that he had another good job with Maris, West & Baker until the 1990 Gulf War started.

That started to remind him of his many years as a service brat. He also had an uncle who had been a Marine in WWII. John decided that was something that he wanted to do. Unable to get an immediate entry into Officer Candidate School, John took the hard route---he enlisted and went to Parris Island, South Carolina. He was slightly old for his class, but he graduated and because of high scores was assigned to communications. He would remain in that field, but at higher levels, throughout his career. He would have to wait two years before he could go through OCS, so he spent his time learning all he could about communications and the newer classified equipment that was coming on board.

After earning his officer rank, he had many interesting and high level jobs in communications. He provided special communications support for the 2003 Gulf War.

He made at least three trips to the Gulf War area including one tour in-country in Iraq. His promotions also came regularly until he retired in 2012 as a lieutenant colonel.

John, Jr., was married during his career as a Marine, but the marriage did not last. After retirement he remained a bachelor and returned to the Gulf Coast of Mississippi where many of his Payne cousins still live. He quickly gained a love for salt water fishing and often had a nice flounder for dinner.

John, Jr., was preceded in death by his mother Bonita “Bonnie” Payne.

He is survived by his father, John G. Payne, Sr., Major USAF Retired, who lives in Oxford, Mississippi. We cannot name all of the beloved cousins who will miss him in the Gulf Coast area.

Early in his life, John, Jr., adopted Mississippi as his native state. He and his father, John, Sr., (also a military veteran) often discussed being buried in the Veterans Cemetery in Biloxi. We plan for this to happen. Although, it will not happen during a Class 2 Heat Wave in September. On some cool morning or afternoon in October or November we will do our best to notify everyone again.