Marilyn Rouse Payne's Obituary
On January 4th, at 8:30 am, Marilyn Rouse Payne went peacefully to join our Heavenly Father after a battle with a sudden, unsuspected and undetected cancer. She was surrounded by her loving family. Her last words were “I love you.”
Marilyn was a loving daughter, wife, mother, sister, aunt and a tireless community leader, business woman and great friend. She was born in Greenville, Texas to L.C. Rouse and Evelyn Coe Rouse on August 15, 1942. She had strong family ties to northeast Texas but was raised in Austin, Texas. Marilyn's exemplary academic career was firmly rooted in Austin, starting at Rosedale Elementary and ending at the University of Texas where she graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science Degree and Secondary Education certificate. While in college, she worked for the Attorney General's office and for the University of Texas and was also a member of the Tri Delta Sorority, which she continued to support after graduation. Marilyn met her husband, Hermes Edward Payne, Jr. at the University of Texas, where they began their 58-year journey together.
Marilyn built a career as an educator and a salesperson while continuously giving back to her community. She started as a home economics teacher and drill team sponsor in Round Rock, calling upon her experience as a member of the Blue Brigade at McCallum High. She then taught in Atlanta, Georgia while Hermes served in the United States Army. They eventually settled back in the piney woods of East Texas in Longview where Marilyn thrived performing volunteer work. She served on the Board of Directors for the Longview Museum & Arts Center, United Way, Gregg County Texas Exes, American Heart Association, Festival of the Pines, and the First United Methodist Church. She also served on committees for the Longview Board of Realtors, United Way, Action Longview, Longview ISD Vocational Board, Leadership Longview, First United Methodist Church Worship Committee, and Council of Ministries. Marilyn devoted countless hours to the Junior Service League of Longview and helped lead the transition to affiliate with the National Charter and become the Junior League of Longview where she served as President, Board Member and Sustaining Advisor. She did all of her community work while also raising two, active boys. When her boys began to gain their independence, she returned to the working world where she first worked as a real estate agent for Lenhart Properties and then as sales manager for Curtis Broadcasting, working with its stations KFRO, 1370 AM, Q9FM, and KAEZ FM. Marilyn was also asked to model from time to time, and her sons were told on more than one occasion that their mother was “the prettiest lady in Longview”.
While community and career were important to her, Marilyn's top priority was her family. She took great pride in her husband, Hermes, and in her two sons, Brett and Brian. She was the family’s anchor, supporting Hermes throughout his career and instilling in her sons her values, energy and drive to succeed and to lead. She was also devoted to her two sisters, Barbara Ann Gattis and Sandra Sue Segrest, and to her extended family of Coes and Ramseys in and from Mount Vernon. She was a beloved aunt to her many nieces and nephews, nicknamed "Mamie" by her oldest niece Gayla Gattis Murphy. Her role as “Mamie” transitioned into being a beloved grandmother to her four grandchildren. As with her own children, Mamie attended countless games, recitals, birthday parties and holiday celebrations with her four grandchildren, Carter Hermes Payne and Kathryn Coe Payne, children of Brett Hermes and Angie Reagan Payne, and Claire Elizabeth Payne and Charlotte Coe Payne, children of Brian Charles and Julie Eckel Payne, all of Austin. Mamie also loved to travel with family and friends, especially if it involved a beach or the pool deck of a cruise ship. She loved spending time at Lake Cherokee where she was happy entertaining all comers for the Fourth of July or just quietly relaxing on the back deck. Everyone was made to feel welcome in Mamie’s home.
Services for Marilyn Rouse Payne will be held at the First United Methodist Church of Longview on Friday, January 13, 2023, at 11 am with a brief reception to follow. Burial services will be held at Rosewood Memorial Park at 1:30 pm.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to:
Junior League of Longview Sustainer Scholarship Fund
P.O. Box 866
Longview. 75606
School for Little Children
First Methodist Church
400 North Fredonia
Longview. 75601
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