JOHN JEFFREY PAYNE

Some people say he was a hero because he was a fireman, but what really made him a hero was being a great dad, a caring son, and a dependable brother and friend. John "Jeff" Payne passed away at the age of 52 on May 30, 2020 after suffering a heart attack, embraced by the love of his family and friends. The son of Frank and Jeannette Payne, he is survived by his mom, his son (Davis), his brother (Jody), his uncle and aunt (Ted and Shirley), and his fellow Southfield firefighters. Jeff graduated from John Glenn High School in Westland. Much like Bill Gates, he dropped out of college. Rather than be a stereotypical billionaire entrepreneur, he went on to work at MinutLube, but he eventually left after his manager said he could no longer be paid for oil changes in pizzas. He eventually became a fireman, where he worked as a mechanic, despite the fact that when he fixed his own car, he often had parts left over, which he dismissed with a simple, "It runs." He had already put in for his retirement, making plans to spend much of his days on beaches, riding his Harley, and repeatedly washing his car both inside and out. Unfortunately, the coronavirus cancelled his heart stress test on April 16, which would have detected the blockage in his artery, ruining all those plans. His heirs will inherit an entire basement filled with Halloween decorations, an incredibly bad music collection, a huge amount of loose change, and a truck that you could literally eat off the floor mats it's so clean (despite the fact he never once dusted his bedroom!). Although his family intended to have a funeral service with the Back in Black album by AC/DC blaring, like Jeff had as the soundtrack for his first wedding, the coronavirus put a damper on those plans as well. In lieu of flowers, maybe just hug a fireman...but maintain social distancing and wear a mask.