Grady Alan Payne was born on November 27th, 1962 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and passed away on November 3rd, 2020, at the age of 57. Alan grew up in Oklahoma City, Edmond, and Duncanville, and he graduated from Brook Hollow Christian Academy in 1981. After high school, Alan explored many career options, including truck driving and automotive mechanics, but was still searching for what he wanted to do in life. His friend Mark convinced him to visit Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, Oklahoma to see if it would be a good fit, and on his way home from the trip, Alan felt the Lord’s calling to pursue an education at OBU. Alan loved sharing stories about his time at OBU, and they were most often filled with shenanigans involving his Lambda brothers. He especially loved sharing about the time that he painted the bison in The Oval, climbing to the top of Raley Chapel, eating ribs at Van’s, and spending late nights studying at the Kettle. He graduated from OBU with his bachelor's degree in business in 1992. During his time there, he met the love of his life, Sonya, and they were married on September 12th, 1992 in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Alan and Sonya built a house and family together in Midlothian, Texas, where they raised their four children, Savannah, Hudson, Katy, and Clara. When they were young, Alan had a job delivering newspapers, and they loved getting to wake up early to ride along with him and having breakfast together afterwards at Caroline’s. He was widowed in September 2007, and took on the role of single dad to his four young children. Though this was no easy job, Alan met every challenge head on with resilience and without complaint. He loved his children more than anything, and they spent so many wonderful times together. Alan was loved deeply by all who knew him. He was known by many as being kind, generous, humble, honest, hard-working, and steady in the face of heartache. His children will always remember him for his silliness, always encouraging them to be their best, and his love of Tex-Mex, trains, naps, and coffee. Alan was preceded in death by his wife, Sonya Gayle Payne, his father, Oliver William Payne, and his mother, Mary Ailene Payne. Alan is survived by his children, Savannah House and her husband Casey House, Hudson Payne, Katy Payne, and Clara Payne, his sister, Jacquelyn Kyle and her husband Ronald Kyle, his nephews, Erik Kyle and his wife Leslie Kyle, Jason Kyle and his wife Nicole Kyle, his great nieces and nephews, Ellen Kyle, Kathleen Kyle, Danielle Kyle, Jordan Kyle, Kaitlyn Kyle, and Jason Kyle Jr, and his great-great niece, Chole Kyle. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Oklahoma Baptist University to the Alan and Sonya Payne Memorial Scholarship.