Denise “Diane” (Gray) Payne peacefully passed away on February 28, 2023, in Richmond at the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit of VCU.  Her loved ones were with her until the end.  There is no way to describe how much she will be missed.  She was born on April 8, 1954, in Norfolk, Virginia to Carolyn and Robert Gray, the eldest of their 3 children.

Diane grew up in Virginia Beach surrounded by lots of family and various pets including a duck named Henry.  She graduated from First Colonial High School and after a couple of entry level jobs she began her 40 year career at Lockheed Martin. As with every aspect in her life, without college, Diane’s hard work ethic and determination gave her an outstanding career.  Starting as a receptionist, she worked her way to become the business and finance manager of the local field office supporting personnel worldwide and becoming a recognized expert in her field before retiring to pursue all of her other interests.

She loved to go to the theater, knew everything about gardening, and especially enjoyed traveling to different countries.  Her life was so full.  Diane enjoyed spending time with her friends whether it was running races or getting coffee.  She was generous with her time, helping other people with everything from decorating and painting to creating gifts using her embroidery machine.  For many years up until the present, she was a member of Atlantic Circle of the Kings Daughters, raising money for the children’s hospital.

Spending time with her two granddaughters was at the top of the list and they have wonderful memories of going to the water park, creating crafts and baking together.  She was an amazing mother and an exceptional grandparent.  She was selfless and always giving of her talents to others.

Being the oldest child and only daughter, Diane spent a lot of time caring for other people.  She was preceded in death by her father and most recently, her mother and younger brother, Ricky.

Diane will be missed by so many but mostly by her loving husband, Ron, daughter, Ashley and 2 grandchildren, Ellie and Katie.  She is survived by her brother, Robert Gray Jr. and many close cousins.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.  In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to CHKD (https://www.chkd.org/donate/) or the Leukemia Society (https://givenow.lls.org) in Diane’s name.

“How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!”-Henry Scott Holland