Joan Payne Obituary
Joan Payne, age 99, died peacefully in her sleep on November 5, 2022.
Born on December 28, 1922, in Yonkers, NY, Joan spent her first days in an incubator due to low birth weight. At a time when infant mortality was high, her spit-fire personality was prevalent from the start as she beat the odds and grew into a lively active child. In her early years, Joan (or Jenny as she was called) faced additional hardship when diagnosed with tuberculosis requiring her to spend extended time away from home at Grasslands Hospital's "Sunshine Cottage.". As her illness coincided with the Great Depression, her father, Michael Caputo, worked constructing roadways. He lived in a work camp upstate and would walk south on the not yet constructed road to visit little Jenny. Joan fondly remembered his visits and the way she cherished the time waving to him through the window or seeing him outside the fenced playground area. Despite this adversity and illness early on, Joan went on to live an incredibly full life.
In the 1940's, Joan lived in the mill town of Danielson, CT, where she worked at a factory helping the war effort. She married and had two sons, Philip and Raymond. As a young mother of two active little boys, Joan found herself constantly worried for the safety of her sons while living in a farmhouse between the railroad tracks and a creek. Joan eventually made her way back to New York with her boys. Back in Yonkers, as a single mom, she worked a variety of jobs to make ends meet. With little time to herself, she was reluctant when a girlfriend encouraged her to start dating but finally agreed to a blind date. This led Joan to find the love of her life, George Payne, Jr.
Joan's family life with George was heartwarming and full of love. He raised the boys as his own and with the addition of their daughter, Carol Lynne, their family became complete. When George died, 17 years later, Joan became his widow. With her children grown, Joan spent her time attending prayer groups and volunteering as a certified nurse's aide at St. Joseph's Nursing Home. Getty Square in Yonkers was also a special place to Joan as she frequented the many shops including the Donut Den and Sheldon's Library Card Store (where she bought many of her beloved Hallmark pins).
On weekends, Joan would visit her children and grandchildren (who called her "Nanny") and eventually moved to Yorktown Heights, NY, to be closer to family. She spent many happy years as a resident of Beaver Ridge Senior Housing community where she became known for her energetic, fun-loving and festive personality. Her creativity and artistic talents were evident in the many paintings and crafts she would display throughout the year. One of her favorite past-times was decorating her apartment (and the hallways) for every holiday imaginable with many of her decorations homemade. In addition, she was known at Beaver Ridge for having fun and was recognized on more than one occasion for her original Halloween costumes (most notably her witch and retired playboy bunny costumes).
Aside from decorating, Joan also loved to show her festive spirit by wearing colorfully themed scarves, beads and her treasured Hallmark pins. No matter the holiday, she could be found "dressed up" with a scarf around her neck and a pin on her lapel. She bought Hallmark pins for every occasion and often gifted them to her daughter, daughter-in-law and grandkids, making a point to ask regularly if the pins were being worn for each holiday, to which the only acceptable answer was "Yes Nanny, I have it on.".
Shortly after her 99th birthday, Joan moved to Salem Hills Nursing Facility in Purdys. Her family is especially grateful to the staff at Salem Hills, for their kindness to and care for Joan in her final days.
Joan was pre-deceased by her husband, George Payne, Jr., as well as her parents, Michael and Antonetta (Florio) Caputo, her siblings, Mary Carlucci, Frances, Leo and Nicolas Caputo and two of her grandsons, George Sohanchyk and Wayne Eric Coté.
Joan is survived by her son Phil Coté and his wife Marleen of Ashburn, VA, her son Ray Coté and her daughter Carol Lynne Penta both of Wappinger's Falls, NY. In addition she is survived by her grandchildren, Alycia Forbes and her husband Tom, of Somers, NY, Crystal McIntosh and her husband Steve, of Round Hill, VA, Stephen Sohanchyk and his wife Amy of Waterbury CT, Danielle Ewing and her husband Brian of Orange, CT, Michael Coté, of Orange, CT, and Allison Conti and her husband Michael, of Fishkill, NY. Joan also had many great-grandchildren, Tommy, Anna and George, Jackson, Juliette and Lucas, Katlyn, Justin and Landon, Mason and Greyson and Alycia and Anthony. Joan is also survived by many nieces and nephews.
Wherever Joan lived she met new people. With lifelong friends from Yonkers and countless others from her various homes through the years, she touched so many lives and she will be greatly missed. Though Joan may have started her life as a fragile infant and sickly child, she became a strong, creative and feisty women who lived a long life and was loved by many for nearly a century.
