Thomas J. Payne

Thomas “Tom” Joseph Payne passed away peacefully at his home in Greenbelt, MD on September 20, 2024. Tom was born on January 9, 1948 and was raised in Riverdale, MD before moving to Hyattsville, MD. He attended St. Jerome's Catholic Parochial School through grades 1-8 and then attended and graduated from DeMatha Catholic High School, Class of 1966. He was a computer operator for many years and worked in a security role at Leisure World before retiring. Tom was married to Barbara Eshelman, who was originally from Essex, MD on September 28, 1985. Tom and Barbara enjoyed traveling together with trips to Arizona, Maine, Nevada and Canada, as well as many local areas within Maryland. They also enjoyed participating in volksmarches in their younger years together. They shared a mutual love of many cats they rescued during their married years together and especially their last feline companions, Shieba and Frisky. They enjoyed their tight knit community in Historic Greenbelt, surrounded by many wonderful neighbors and friends and they would often attend neighborhood celebrations and events. Tom enjoyed traveling on ski trips and getting out on the slopes as well as swimming at the YMCA in his younger years and walking whenever he could get outdoors. He also had a love of history. He was an active member in the Catholic Church, attending St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in Hyattsville, MD as well as St. Hugh of Grenoble Catholic Church, in Greenbelt, MD. For several years, he assisted with the "Meals on Wheels" program, delivering food to the homebound. His family and friends will remember Tom, for his kindness and sincerity, his devotion to his Catholic faith and his unending love of animals. Tom was pre-deceased by his wife Barbara, his parents Howard Brent Payne and Florence Josephine Payne of Hyattsville, MD and his older siblings, Richard “Dick” B. Payne and Margaret “Peggy” E. (Payne) McConnell. Tom is survived by his older brother, John F. Payne (Susan), of Centreville, MD, as well as nieces, nephews, great-nieces and one great-nephew.

 A mass of Christian Burial will be held on October 14, 2024 at St. Hughes of Grenoble, 135 Crescent Road, Greenbelt, MD 20770 at 11:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Gate of Heaven Catholic Cemetery, 13801 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20906.