Jerome "Jerry" Payne

Jerome J. "Jerry" Payne, 88, of Fort Dodge, died peacefully Tuesday July 13, 2021 at Friendship Haven. His wishes were to be cremated. No services are planned at this time. Laufersweiler Funeral home is serving family. Survivors include--a son, Jonathan (Erin) of Greeley, Colorado, daughter, Josie, of Fort Dodge, and ex-wife (and still a good buddy) Judy Payne. He was preceded in death by his parents, Stanley and Cecelia (Kearney) Payne, brother, Denny Payne and infant sister, Diane. Jerry was born on October 31, 1932 in Norfolk, NE and lived in Detroit as a young child. After WWII his family moved back to Fort Dodge and he graduated from Sacred Heart High School. After working in Denver and a brief stint at Hormel's in FD, he graduated from the University of Minnesota, Mankato. "Mr. Payne" then taught in Minnesota before moving back to Fort Dodge and for many years taught grades 7-12 in the Prairie Community School District. Later he taught at AIB in Des Moines and was a data processing manager in several cities and sold books to libraries. In 2009 Friendship Haven became his home. Besides being an art lover and math nerd, he loved reading the classics and anything about WWI and WWII. (He instilled in his kids an appreciation of the lessons to be learned from history.) His musical tastes leaned toward Bach, Mozart, Dave Brubeck and Miles Davis. Always with a smile on his face, he reveled in using his wit and humor on his friends and the family he dearly loved. His family plans to have a private celebration at a later date. The family cannot thank the Friendship Haven staff enough for their genuine affection for Jerry, their loving appreciation in his wacky personality and humor and for the outstanding care he received from them. Memorials may be left to family discretion.