Rev. Gerald Lynn Payne, age 67, of Copperhill passed away on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. Gerald was born on May 12, 1959 in Copperhill to the late Rev. Warren G. Payne and Evelyn Crawford Payne. He worked for twenty years at Honeywell, formerly Bendix, in Cleveland, TN. Gerald was an avid outdoorsman, always enjoying hunting and fishing. He thought the world of his family, and loved spending time with all of them. Gerald's greatest love was for the Lord. He was a member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Tumbling Creek, and was ordained by the church as a minister in 1998. Gerald loved to be in church and preaching the gospel.

Along with his parents, he is preceded in death by his brother, Rev. Jimmy Payne; grandparents, James & Onie Payne, and Claude & Evie Crawford; aunt, Betty Crawford; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Rev. Lloyd and Rhoda Locke Deal; and brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Roger Lee Deal, Conrad & Deborah Deal, C.M. "Bug" Talley, Martha Ann Deal, Cecil Deal, William George & Glenda Deal, Leroy Danny & Margaret Deal, and Willard Cantrell.

Gerald is survived by his loving wife of 40 years, Marilyn Rose Deal; son, Lloyd Warren "Little Lloyd" Payne; sisters, Annette (Jim) Looper and Lori (Jimmy) McKinney; aunt, Mary Crawford; and brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Alex & Angie Deal, Richard & Stacey Deal, Carlton & Rita Deal, Randy & Sharon Deal, Kathleen Payne, Mary Louise Talley, and Dora Jean Shipey.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, August 15, 2026 at 2:00 PM from the Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Tumbling Creek with Rev. Doyle Davis, Rev. Alan Davenport, Rev. David O'Neal, and Rev. Harold Lowery officiating. Music will be provided by Alex & Angie Deal and Phillip Allen. Interment will follow in the Mt. Zion Baptist Church Cemetery in Tumbling Creek with Little Lloyd Payne reciting Psalm 23. Pallbearers will be Matthew Deal, Jesse Deal, Adam Deal, Corey Deal, Aaron Talley, Daniel Deal, Trevis Deal, James Barnes, David Rymer, and Harold Allen. Honory pallbearers will be Danny Caldwell, Rev. Jo Dan Wilkens, Rev. Billy Cantrell, Dennis Barnes, Little Lloyd Payne, and the area ministers. The family will receive friends at the Akins-Cobb of Copperhill on Friday, August 14, 2026 from 5:00 PM until 9:00 PM.

Condolences may be made to the family online at www.akinscobb.com

Akins-Cobb Funerals & Cremations of Copperhill, TN is in charge of these arrangements.