Alpha Thomas Payne III (AT) was born March 1, 1951, in Ironton, OH. AT and his family later moved to Newark, OH where he grew up with his mother and father Alpha Thomas Payne Jr and Marjorie Ellen. AT peacefully passed surrounded by family in Grand Rapids, MI and joined his mother and father in heaven on July 27, 2022, after 71 years.
AT is survived by Pandora, his wife of 41 years; and his 3 daughters, Ashley (Mark) VanDellen, Mollie (Troy) Blasius, and Hannah (Ben) Rosema. AT was proud to be called “dad dad” by his 5 grandkids, Graham Payne Blasius, Sutton Keaney Blasius, Emerie Anton Blasius, Alpha Jay Rosema, and Benjamin Alan Rosema Jr. AT is also survived by his sister, Miki (Roger) Hempleman; niece, Ellen (Brandon) Akey and their children, Piper Leigh and Andrew Thomas; and nephew, Tyler Hempleman.
AT lived up to his name Alpha as he always found himself at the head of the pack. He was a basketball star in high school and played at Denison University where he graduated with a business degree. AT also excelled as a salesman early in his career before moving to Grand Rapids where he had a long, successful career at Wolverine Worldwide and retired at 61 ahead of schedule.
AT was a fighter. He battled cancer for 21 years and only those closest to him would ever know he was sick. AT’s lifelong goal was to give his girls the best, and true to form, he exceeded all expectations.
A private memorial service will be held to celebrate AT’s life and lasting impact in this world. In lieu of flowers please make donations to Trillium Woods (FaithHospice) or the American Cancer Society.
13 Responses
AT was a great friend, leader and Boss that always had my back. In our travels Hobie and I had so many great times with AT building our business into a successful business model admired by others! We often talk about our kids and he was so proud of his daughter’s and his love of Pandora!
Cheers AT! We will miss you!
All of our love to the Payne family. AT raised 3 beautiful girls. We are so sorry for your loss.
Pandora and girls,
So sorry to hear of AT’s passing. He was such a great friend and mentor.
Prayers to your family.
Mike and Kiki Lown
May God surround his family with comfort. A.T. Was the best. Even though we lived far apart he was always a favorite cousin. Good times when we were young. Praying for you , Pandora , girls, & Miki. Love you all.
Katy Hannan ( Doris’ daughter)
My dear Pandora, I am so deeply sorry for your loss. May fond memories give you comfort and peace. Loving hugs to you and your family. ❤️????????????❤️????
Sue Blubaugh Tucker
So sorry for your lost
I am so sorry to learn this. AT was exemplary in all he did and kind to all. Prayers for his family. I look forward to reuniting with him when we meet again in Heaven.
We are so very sorry for your loss. Praying God’s comfort to be a real source of strength.
My heart is crushed and broken
When you loose someone you’ve
known and gone from grades 1 – 12
I’ll always remember the great times we had at Woodside
Central Jr high and our great class of “69”
No more suffering no more pain
PEACE
I am so sorry to hear of AT’s passing. I remember him from our school days at Woodside Elementary through our graduation with the class of ‘69. AT was a genuinely nice person and that’s what I will always remember about him. Sincere condolences to his family.
I’m sorry to hear of AT”s passing, I knew him from Woodside’s outdoor basketball court. Prayers to all of his family.
Pandora and family,
I knew AT from my agency days at Madison-Collins Insurance in Newark and he was a class act and always enjoyed my conversations with him. So sorry to hear of this news and prayers to all of you.
Deepest sympathies on your loss. It was a privilege to work with AT during our days at Wolverine.
Prayers and peace, always.
Lisa Spencer