Cathy Marie Payne, age 68, of Birmingham, AL entered her heavenly home on August 7, 2022 with her family by her side.

She was predeceased by her mother, Vernell Elizabeth Payne, her sisters, Linda McGee, and Martha McDonald along with 2 brothers, Gary Payne and David Payne.

Survivors include her daughter, Judy Vines (Curtis), a loving sister, Joan Salter (Mark), brother, James Payne (Kathy), one granddaughter, Jessica Wilder (Jarrod), two grandsons, Joshua Smith and Matthew Vines (Morgan), two great granddaughters, Nevaeh Wilder and Taliah Wilder, one great grandson, Eli Wilder, and numerous nieces and nephews including Cheryl White(Chuck) and Beth Austin (Mitch).

Cathy held an Associates Degree in Applied Arts with a focus on residential interior design.

Of all the things I could say about my mom, she was a strong, beautiful, and kind soul who saw the beauty in this flawed world all around her. She loved taking me to parks, nature preserves, and museums just to admire the world and talk, and in her spare time, she made art and jewelry. Most importantly, she taught by example – to reach out and never judge someone by their appearance. She sided with the underdogs and black sheep and often ignored the unspoken (and sometime spoken) rules of society.

Cathy was truly an artist at heart, and it showed up in anything she touched. She taught us that the simple things hold the most beauty. I once said that every time I see a butterfly, it reminded me of her. Their patterns are diverse and colorful, and their personality is gentle and quiet, but most importantly, they had to struggle to become a thing of beauty – this is how I see my mom. Despite all her hardships from early childhood to health problems later in life, she still managed to spread her wings with unconditional love.

Please join us in celebrating the life of Cathy Marie Payne, on Saturday, August 13, 2022 at 11:30 AM at Good Shephard Lutheran Church, 2456 Decatur Hwy, Gardendale, AL 35071 where Pastor David Moerbe will be officiating.