Bill Payne

Private graveside services for Bill Payne, an 88-year-old Buffalo resident who passed away January 13th in Buffalo, will be held in Willow Grove Cemetery.  A reception and celebration of Bill’s Life will be held Saturday, January 20^th from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. at the Jim Gatchell Museum with Pastor Ann Knighten officiating.   Donations in Bill’s memory may be made to Engineers Without Borders at 5500 Wabash Ave in Terre Haute, Indiana 47803, or the Jim Gatchell Museum Exhibits Program at 100 Fort Street in Buffalo, Wyoming 82834.  Online condolences may be made at www.harnessfuneralhome.com.  

William Hamilton Payne was born on September 22, 1935, in Indianapolis, Indiana to James and Mabel Payne.  He grew up and went to school in Indianapolis and graduated from Howe High School in Indianapolis. He was married on June 5^th, 1960, in Logansport, Indiana to Colleen Downham. And they made their home in Littleton Colorado.

 Bill always wanted to be a cowboy, but he wasn’t able to reach the goal only by living in Wyoming for a few recent years. “Mama Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys,” says Willie.  Engineering was a chosen field for a Hoosier boy with a degree from Rose Hulman Institute of Technology.  He became a rocket engineer in propulsion at the Martin Company outside of Denver on the Titan Missiles. When that program was sent to Florida, he became the computer room manager at Mr. Bell with each computer the size of our current bathrooms.

Bill and Colleen Payne lived in Castle Rock with one daughter, Rochelle, and a pseudo-son Mike Brown, and a pseudo-daughter Vickie Brown.  Bill owned a scuba shop in Denver which featured educated dive trips to the Caribbean. Later he took up volunteer coaching football at the Douglas County High School in Castle Rock who were 4-A State Champs. After retiring from Mt. Bell for three days Bill went back to Martin Company to work on the robotic system for Mars projects.

It was time to change directions and Location again.  Bill became a freelance engineer helping the Buffalo Bison Football Team, Bison Soccer Team, and the Jim Gatchell Museum exhibits as a designer and Habitat for Humanity as a builder.  This resulted in a collection of unique screwdriver tools which will be on exhibit at the Celebration of Life. Bill will be remembered and honored at the Celebration of his Life and he leaves behind; his wife of 63 years Colleen Payne of Buffalo; his daughter Dr. Rochelle Ondracek and her husband Dr. Ted Ondracek of Buffalo, New York; a pseudo son Mike Brown and a pseudo daughter Vickie Brown both of Colorado; his grandchildren Isabelle and Will Ondracek of New York; and numerous extended friends across Colorado, Wyoming and points East.