Reubin Payne
September 13, 1942- November 6, 2010
Reubin passed away peacefully at his home in St. Louis after losing his battle with cancer.
Reubin was known for many positive attributes including integrity, honesty, attentiveness to family and friends. He was always open and caring and he created a large network of friends during his life with us.
Reubin grew up on a farm in Charles City County, a rural county in eastern Virginia. He was a proud graduate of Virginia Tech in 1964. After receiving his MS in Chemistry at the University of Georgia, he spent the rest of his career at Rohm and Haas. His career in account management and sales management took him to Philadelphia, Cleveland, Atlanta, and VA.
When he retired, he moved to FL where for many years he had wanted to live. His fight with cancer necessitated a move St. Louis for treatment and care.
Reubin is preceded in death by his parents, Mildred Aigner Payne and Reubin A Payne, Sr. He is survived by his 3 children, Michelle Whitlow, Reubin Payne, III and Jim Payne, and by his 3 siblings, Marilyn Staley, Patty Howard, and Norman Payne and their spouses. He is also survived by his fiancée, Barbara Malta, who took loving and attentive care of him through his difficult battle. His children and siblings will be forever grateful for the love and care she showed Reubin during his last months with us.
He loved them all very much and was in turn loved by each of them. He made such an impact on all of their lives.
The family is so very grateful for the cards, calls, emails, thoughts and prayers of each of you. Reubin treasured your friendship.
There will be only a very small, private memorial service for Reubin, according to his wishes.
Please feel free to post your memories and condolences to this website for all to share.
To "Rubie" (my special nickname for you)
You always had a smile and never an unkind word but best of all you were always a brother, even to Woody. He, too, loved you so much.
November the 6th will always be remembered as a sad but special day. Special because it was the anniversary date of Mom’s death and I know she was there to help you cross the threshold into the hereafter. She was there to make your passing peaceful and to guide you to your new home.
I know you will rest in peace and watch over us, always.
All of our love
Patty ("your baby sister") & Woody (your other ’brother’)
Thank you, Reubin, for offering your kindness, sharing your thoughts, and showing your love.
I miss you and will always love you.
-Chris-
To Barbara and Reubin’s family: Reubin was a good friend and one that I could always count on for doing an excellent job for his customers and for the company.We shared many stories and ideas along the way and I always had a great respect for him.I was sorry to hear that he was overcome with a cancer that shortened his life with a great partner.
At work; always encouraging and helpful. At play (skiing); always attentive to everyone’s comfort and enjoyment. At all times: charming and gracious; a positive influence on colleagues. For many, we will dearly miss and long remember our great friend, Reubin.
From an old Norse Lament:
Over whatever sea he is sailing
Whatever strange winds fan his brow,
What company rare he’s regaling
I know it is well with him now.
And when my last voyage I am making
May I go as he went, unafraid
And, the Pilot that guided him taking
May I make the same port he has made.
I have only know Reubin for a very short time, through a good friend of mine and his fiance, Barbra. In this brief encounter I could tell he was a wonderful person, kind, intelligent, and had a good sense of humor. I know he will be missed by many. My thoughts and prayers go out to all who knew him.
We met as young men and became ’ brothers ’ over the next 43 years. I called him Georgia – cause – very early -his career goal was to become the District Sales Mgr. for that area. He made it too !
Even with job changes we stayed in contact, often visiting each other. What contrasts we were. He was tall, handsome and skinny. Me: oh well. Yes a Rebel and a Methodist became brothers with a Yankee and an Catholic. ( He always told me the the Yankees did not win the war; the South was just resting til the right time. )
I love you Brother. Thanks for your generous and thoughtful nature; your willingness to listen and not judge; for sharing all of your hopes and dreams, joys and sorrows with me. Just because you’re with God now, don’t expect me to stop talking and listening. May the peace of Christ be upon you. See you soon. Love Chuck
No finer person has ever crossed our path. Mary Ann and I loved him, admired him, and shall miss him. But happy memories remain, and those we shall cherish.
Bon voyage, dear friend.
We remember the dear lovable Reubin with great affection, and want you to know that we mourn with you. We honor his life that was lived so well, and leaves behind so many humorous memories.
With love and most sincere sympathies, Aileen and Frank
I shall never forget the visits with Reubin and Barbara. The long talks, the laughter, and the good food! Always Troy’s Sunday breakfast.And in August, our last serious talk about life, and death.The good bye. We will see you on the other side.Dear Reubin, look for Adam, tell him NeNe loves him.
when you pass through the waters, I will be with you, fear not,for I have redeemed you, You are mine. Isaiah 4 3:2,1NIV
We are one of Reubin’s friends from Fellowship United Methodist Church in Palm Bay, FL. Even though we haven’t known Reubin very long we considered him one of our special friends. He was a very kind person that you felt you had known all your life. We looked forward to his visits and he always made it a point to greet us. We will miss him but know he is in a better place. Our prayers go out to Barbara and his family.
It is difficult to put down in words how I felt about my father. It would take pages and pages to list the ways that he helped me grow through my childhood and in my adult years. He provided me with much wisdom and support. He helped run my guide business with extreme passion and committment. He provided an incredibly sharp mind to share ideas. He had a sense of humor and loved to make people laugh. He had strong shoulders to lean on. He knew right from wrong and always stood up for what was right. He taught me how to fish and he taught me how to work. He was an exceptional father. I was blessed to have had him in my life.
Firstly, my condolences to Barbra and Reubin’s family. I worked with Reubin for over 20 years and had the highest respect for him as a professional in our business and the higest regard for him as a person. I always enjoyed my interactions with Reubin whether in Philadelphia or when traveling with him, usually in Atlanta. I knew on those occasions that I was with one of the best and that the job would get done and we would have a good time while doing it.
In these later years of retirement, I enjoyed receiving emails from Reubin from time to time, keeping in touch was important.
I will miss hearing from him but he is etched permantly in my heart and mind.
To Barbara and Reubin’s family, Mary and I wish to extend our prayers and condolences on his passing. Reubin was a friend for 42 years and a great colleague for 36 years who always conducted himself with class, honesty and integrity. He was one of the finest individuals I have known on both a business and personal basis. I am going to miss our exchange of emails and our mutual interest in the “Hokies”, but will always remember his smile and that sparkle in his eyes. May you dwell in the house of the Lord forever!
Rubin and I have traveled together at work in Rhom and Haas to visit various customers. I must say, Rubin was a perfect gentleman, very considerate, respectful and a very good listener. Even after retirement whenever he visited Spring House, he would stop by my office to say ’hello’. That meant a lot to me that he cares. He would send an email remembering birth date, that was very nice of him. He was a good person. Now I will miss his email. I am sure he is at peace and resting with God. My sincere condolences to his family.
I knew Reubin from our men’s ski trips to CO, which he organized. He looked out for the whole crew, to make sure we had a great time and were kept well fed. He put a lot of effort into making all the arrangements, because he loved us guys. I’d like to share a special poem from the Priest of the Sacred Heart:
SAFELY HOME
I am home in Heaven, dear ones;
Oh, so happy and so bright!
There is perfect joy and beauty,
In this everlasting light.
All the pain and grief is over,
Every restless tossing passed;
I am now at peace forever,
Safely home to Heaven at last.
Did you wonder I so calmy
Tred the valley of the shade?
Oh! but Jesus’ love illumined
Every dark and fearful glade.
And He came Himself to meet me
In that way so hard to tread;
And with Jesus’ arm to lean on,
Could I have one doubt or dread?
Then you must not grieve so sorely,
For I love you dearly still;
Try to look beyond earth’s shadows,
Pray to trust our Father’s Will.
There is work still waiting for you,
So you must not idly stand;
Do it now, while life remaineth —
You shall rest in Jesus’ land.
When that work is all completed,
He will gently call you Home;
Oh, the rapture of that meeting.
Oh, the joy to see you come!
Dear loved ones of Reubin (Andy to us) Payne,
We were sorry that Andy’s left this life and thank God he’s already in the life to comer. My memories of Andry includePromise staying at his homes, playing tennis with him (I won) and raquet ball (he skunked me). He had that lovely smile and was always in good humor when we visited. “Precious memories” I love God’s promise.”
“II Corinthians 1:3 & 4: “Blessed be God., even the Father of our Lord Jesus Crhist, the Father of mercies aand the God of all comfort:4
Who comforts us in all our aflectioon, that we might comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted by God.”
Love Aunt June and Uncle George and cousin Margaret June.
So many thoughts and happy memories at a time like this. First the thoughts: they are sorrowful as I think of a family without their partriach,fiancee, father, sibling and friend. Know that this man was a gentle and loving man with nary an unkind word for anyone. Now the memories: there are so many – the nickname of “Felix” from the Odd Couple movie for his penchant for cleaning up after the guys on all our ski trips, the visual of Reubin ready to go skiing in skin tight pink Hot Chillies (tights)- now that is a visual that will keep him in my memory banks forever!, always checking on everybody to see how they were doing, visting my wife and I in late August and enjoying his and Barbara’s company over a great bottle of wine, and lastly visiting with in in mid-October to say goodby. He was weakened at that time but he and Barbara did everything to make us feel welcome. It was a great time of remembering the good times and lifting his spirits.
Lastly an old Irish to toast to our friend, “May you be in heaven an hour before the devil knows you are dead”. There is no doubt that Reubin was in heaven long before the devil knew anything.
Peace my brother – we all love you,
Keith
So many thoughts and happy memories at a time like this. First the thoughts: they are sorrowful as I think of a family without their partriach,fiancee, father, sibling and friend. Know that this man was a gentle and loving man with nary an unkind word for anyone. Now the memories: there are so many – the nickname of “Felix” from the Odd Couple movie for his penchant for cleaning up after the guys on all our ski trips, the visual of Reubin ready to go skiing in skin tight pink Hot Chillies (tights)- now that is a visual that will keep him in my memory banks forever!, always checking on everybody to see how they were doing, visting my wife and I in late August and enjoying his and Barbara’s company over a great bottle of wine, and lastly visiting with in in mid-October to say goodby. He was weakened at that time but he and Barbara did everything to make us feel welcome. It was a great time of remembering the good times and lifting his spirits.
Lastly an old Irish to toast to our friend, “May you be in heaven an hour before the devil knows you are dead”. There is no doubt that Reubin was in heaven long before the devil knew anything.
Peace my brother – we all love you,
Keith
When Reubin and Barb invited us to attend church with them, we knew they were really good people. The love they had for each other was so out there. Reubin was truly a child of God and Barb was there with him. He will be greatly missed and, Barb, you will always be admired and respected for the love you always showed and gave to him.
Condolences to the Payne family. Reubin will be in my prayers.
Dear Barbara, Reubin’s Family and Friends,
Nancy and I would like to offer our sincere condolences at this sad time. Knowing that this was coming and that Reubin is no longer in pain is of some comfort but the loss of a close friend of some 30 years is so difficult. Reubin and I traveled over many years visiting customers in the Southeast.Reubin was the consumate professional in dealing with our customers,and sometimes more challanging,the inevitable internal beauracracy. We managed to survive both and had some wonderful and humourous experiences along the way particularly in the kaolin areas of Middle Georgia.
It is of some comfort to know that you are in a better place my friend. Sincerely, Craig and Nancy
I was so very sadden by Reubin’s passing. I had only met him last year along with his special lady Barbara. I felt as if I had known he and Barbara forever. I think of him and it makes me sad that we didn’t have the time to become really great friends.
Barbara, please know that my thoughts and prayers are with you. You are such a special lady and Reubin was such a gentleman and always had a smile for everyone. He will be missed.
Reubin and I shared lab space while in graduate school at the University of Georgia. He was a good friend and lab partner with many good qualities as described by others on this site. He and I stayed in contact for a while after graduating including family visits to each others home. Unfortunately I lost touch with him and was trying to reestablish contact with him when I came across this site. I am sorry to learn that he has passed away and wished that I had tried sooner to reach him. We will indeed all miss his presence in our lives.
i just came across Reubin’s obituary. He was a friend to me and co-worker, and I will never forget him. I used to kid him that he looked a lot like CBS news anchor, Dan Rather. I remember hearing his name for the first time about 1985 when I was transferred from Louisville to Coporate Compensation. My colleagues in human resources referred to him as “…the best salesperson in the Company”. They were right. He used to stop by and visit with me whenever he was in Home Office. I remember sharing a condo with Reubin and his kids in Utah on a post-sales meeting skiing trip. He was just a great person. We will pray for him and his whole family…all our love and prayers, Steve and MarySandra Foster, Friendswood, Texas