Obituary of Don Ed Payne

Honorable Don Ed Payne, 68, of Ft. Towson/Idabel, passed away Friday, December 1, 2006 at his residence in Idabel. He was born September 10, 1938 in Eufala, Oklahoma. Don Ed was a 1956 graduate of Eufala High School. Attended Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, Oklahoma from 1956-1958, University of Tulsa, receiving his B.A. in History and Political Science in 1959, and LL.B. in 1962. Don Ed was Associate District Judge for Choctaw County. He had a long distinguished career in both the private practice of law as well as serving as a Judge and District Attorney. Don Ed was County Judge for McCurtain County from 1963-1964, County Attorney for McCurtain County from 1964-1965, District Attorney for the 17th District of Oklahoma including McCurtain, Choctaw, and Pushmataha Counties from 1965-1971, private practice of law, devoted primarily to the defense of criminal cases in Hugo, Oklahoma from 1971-1995, Associate District Judge for Choctaw County from 1995 till the time of his death. He was an avid golfer, and also enjoyed running and had participated in several marathons. He was a current member of the Oklahoma Bar Association, and the Texas Bar Association. Don Ed had received several awards including the Oklahoma Bar Association Courageous Advocate Award in 1989, Oklahoma Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Lord Erskine Award in 1994, and the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma, Angie Debo Award in 1994. He also lectured and instructed at seminars and trainings for trial lawyers (primarily in the areas of criminal defense and defense of death penalty cases) sponsored by the various legal organizations. Don Ed also served as an instructor in CLEET certification classes for peace officers, and was currently a volunteer adjunct instructor for Eastern Oklahoma State College, teaching primarily Criminal Justice and Corrections Classes. He was preceded in death by his parents, Howard C. and Margaret K. McCracken Payne; and a son, Spencer Hall. Don Ed is survived by his wife, Susan Spencer of Idabel; a son, Nathan Hall of Ft. Towson; brother and sister-in-law, Larry Joe and Nancy Payne of McKinney, Texas; sister-in-law and her husband, Sheri and Paul Chandler of Broken Bow; brother-in-law and wife, Gary and Linda Spencer of Sunnyvale, Texas; sister-in-law and husband, Cindy and Tom Bush of Las Vegas, Nevada; several nieces and nephews; and his beloved animals, Max, Inkblot, Rorschach, Boo Kitty, Luther, Tommy Gray, and Mr. Lears. In lieu of flowers: A.R.K. of McCurtain County P.O. Box 1023 Broken Bow, OK 74728 Or ASPCA- American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Memorial www.aspca.org or 1-800-628-0026.