Memory of George E. Payne

George Edward (Eddie) Payne

Mrs. George (Pat) Payne (wife)
Alisa Neave (daughter)
David Payne (son)
Bruce Payne (son)
Betsy Blackstock (sister)
Joe Payne (brother)
Robert T. (Phil) Payne (brother)

Back to Joe Payne's Genealogy Page

Eddie loved football and was excited about my playing although he never got to see me play. He was always overseas. Here is what he had to say regarding Football Comes to Claiborne County

PAYNE, GEORGE EDWARD - 67, Son of the late Al and Betty Payne, Tazewell, Tennessee. George Payne, loving husband and father, bodyguard for Lt. John Glenn and Robert McNamara died Wednesday, August 16, 2000 in Tucson, Ariz. George grew up in Tazewell, Tenn. and is survived by his wife, Patricia; daughter, Alisa (Arnold) Neave; sons, David (Nancy) and Bruce; sister, Betsy Blackstock; brother, Phil and Joe; and grandchildren, Anthony, Brandon and Sara. Christan Diego Neave was added in 2003 and Sean Javier Neave in 2007.
George was an alumni of Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tenn. He served his country with honor during a long career in law enforcement with the federal government. This included service with the US Army in Germany; as a police officer in Washington, D.C.; and as an agent for the Federal Bureau of Narcotics. For 21 years he worked for the State Department as a Foreign Service Officer, Diplomatic Security, serving overseas with his family in Africa, Europe, and Asia. Retiring from the State Department in 1983. He was a member of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee and served as coordinator for Security for the Western Sector. Following that he took an appointment with the State Department to provide administrative support at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Marana, Arizona. His most recent position was as a Special Agent Investigator. During his time at Marana he trained airport security officers from all over the world. He continued working under contract with the USIA and USAID up until his death.
During the America's Cup, 1986 in Gage Road, Perth,Western Australia his company, Intersect, was interrupted because of espianoge at the US Embassy, Moscow. George's partner, Marvin D Doig being called to Russia to take the place of the Embassy RSO (Regional Security Officer) there. Agent Doig was still on contract with the State Department. Sgt. Clayton Lonetree was the first Marine ever to be convicted of espionage.
George was asked to go to Almaty, Kazakhstan late in 1991 to set up security for the American Embassy there and his brother Joe copied films of the Tennessee and Alabama football games and mailed to him. The building contractor from Atlanta and George enjoyed the game on New Year's Day 1992.
George was an active member of his church and was a past President of the Foreign Service Retirees Association of Southern Ariz. He was also a member of the Tucson British Car Register His car is Pat P's named for his wife Patricia.
Eddie was buried September 15, 2000 in Arlington National Cemetery, facing the Pentagon. His eulogy was delivered by the then Director of Diplomatic Security, Peter Bergin.

Many who didn't know my brother may not know his love of animals. My first dog's name was Pogo and was named by my brother when I was about three years old. Pogo traveled with us for about three years until he was sadly hit by a speeding car in front of our apartment. Pogo was named for the cartoon below, which was a favorite of my brother and became my favorite in the years to come.

I quit reading the Sunday Comics soon after they took Gene Ahern's comic, Major Amos. B. Hoople, "Our Boarding House" staring Major Amos B. Hoople out of them. Along with Major Hoople went my favorite weather cartoon "Pogo" staring Albert Alligator and Pogo Possum, in the Okefenokee Swamp in Florida. I enjoyed that so much as a very young guy that I named my first dog Pogo. Just like most things that go on in this country now, someone needs to make a law against it. I wouldn't doubt if there wasn't some large lobby group behind taking that comic out of our Sunday paper. I carved a marble slab for Pogo, my dog, in 1955 when he died just after returning from a trip through Florida with my brother, mother and sister, and have carried it with me through my life. It now resides beside my wife and myself's house in New Tazewell. Once Dr Owl in a Pogo cartoon explained: "The natural born reason we didn't git no yew-ranium when we crosses the li'l yew tree and the gee-ranium is on account of cause we didn't have no geiger counter".

And this is even heavier
What ever happened to Pal Peanut Butter?