Denay Payton

DENAY (GREGORY) PAYTON

Denay (Gregory) Payton, Selma, NC, formerly of Columbus, OH, went to be with the Lord on April 3, 2019 in Raleigh, NC surrounded by family who loved her dearly. Denay, the daughter of Thomas and Irene Gregory, was born in Boston, MA on June 19, 1959.

Denay loved working with numbers, and she was great at it! In 1977 she graduated from Northland High School, Columbus, OH and continued her education. She graduated from Franklin University with honors and a major in Accounting. She advanced further by obtaining her CPA. When Denay joined Manheim Inc. (subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, Inc.), she held several key accounting positions. After a rewarding 20 year career, she retired from Manheim Inc. as their Regional Controller for the East Region.

Denay and Sam Payton were married in St.Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands and had a loving 22 year relationship. They were blessed to have unique talents and skills that complemented each other. Over the years they enjoyed spending time together gardening, working on home projects and relaxing in the warm summer breezes.

Denay's generosity and willingness to help others was boundless. Her source of strength came from God and her Christian faith. She had a big heart and would give to others based on love and integrity. Denay's love of people and animals led her to volunteer with Southeastern Guide Dogs so she could make a difference to those who needed the aid of a service dog. With joy, she raised and trained two guide dog puppies, DiPaolo and Woody. Her love of dogs was inclusive of her German Shepherd buddy, Blitz, who was also part of the family. She also enjoyed creative endeavors such as house designing, drawing and sewing.

Denay was preceded in death by Finis Payton (father-in-law). Those left to cherish her memory include Sam Payton (husband), Jason Payton (stepson), Thomas and Irene Gregory (parents), Marita Gregory and Danette Gregory (sisters), Greg Duncan (cousin), Mary L. Jackson (mother-in-law),  Cathy LaMarr and Joyce Payton (sister-in-laws) and Woody (fur baby).

Special thanks to Jacquie Remy, Holly Scherrer, and Bonnie Williams and so many other close friends and family too numerous to name for the support, comfort and cheer offered to Denay and her family during this difficult time. She also cherished longstanding friendships with Karen Sullivan and Linda and Robert Balthaser.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made in memoriam of Denay Payton to K.I.N.D.: Kids in Need of Desks, https://bit.ly/2PyrsCF . For Southeastern Guide Dogs, https://www.guidedogs.org/ .

A Celebration of Life ceremony will be announced at a later date. For those interested in attending this ceremony, please e-mail CelebrateDenay@gmail.com with your name, address, phone number and e-mail address. A private service was held with the family on April 12, 2019.