James Earl Payne was born in Springfield on Feb 7 1936, son of George and Pearl Payne. Except for a stint in the army and a couple of years in California, he lived in Springfield all his life. He was wed to his wife Julie on Dec 17, 1982 and they enjoyed a very happy marriage. He is also survived by his daughter Sherrie Payne and her companion, Clay Phillips of Springfield, her son Justin Galbraith, companion Chrissy and their children Wyatt and Addison; his son James Jr. and his wife Sally and their children, Parker and Sophie; his step-son Tobin Winslow, wife Jennifer and their children Cabel and Micah, all of Springfield; and his sister Judi Ricci who resides in Florida with her husband Tom. He is also survived by his lifelong best friend and brother in spirit of over 70 years, John Daniel Price and his wife Jessie. He is preceded in death by his parents; his daughter Rhonda who passed at birth; and his two older brothers, Bill and Joe. Jim worked at Sweetheart Cup, also known as Lily-Tulip, as a quality control supervisor, Campbell's 66 Express in central dispatch and, after they closed, he drove a truck for Tri-Lakes Express, the latter being his favorite job. He liked the physical labor and he enjoyed seeing his regulars every day plus going to new places and meeting new people. He was proud of his truck and very touchy about anyone else driving it. He retired in 1999. Family and friends knew Jim as a good natured, outgoing, hard-working man who was always willing to lend a helping hand. He had a strong passion for motorcycles; he lived and breathed them. His last two bikes were a 1984 Honda Goldwing with a sidecar and a 2003 Harley V-rod. He put many miles on both of them and when he wasn't riding, he was polishing them. Jim's second love was dogs and he assisted Julie in Italian Greyhound rescue for many years. He always spoiled the new fosters that came in and made them feel welcome and he deeply loved those who lived out their lives with us. His beloved Rachel was his constant companion the last 10 years, always by his side and there is no doubt that he was greeted by a very large group of joyful dogs along with friends and family when he crossed over. The face of all the world is changed since first I heard the footsteps of thy soul. A visitation will be held at Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home Friday, January 30, 2014 from 6 to 8 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Italian Greyhound Rescue Foundation PO Box 3693, Springfield MO 65808.