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 and Onie Payne, and Claude and 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 and Deborah Deal, C.M. "Bug" Talley, Martha Ann Deal, Cecil Deal, William George and Glenda Deal, Leroy Danny and 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 and Angie Deal, Richard and Stacey Deal, Carlton and Rita Deal, Randy and Sharon Deal, Kathleen Payne, Mary Louise Talley, and Dora Jean Shipey.

Funeral services were 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 was provided by Phillip Allen, Alex and Angie Deal. Interment followed in the Mt. Zion Baptist Church Cemetery in Tumbling Creek with Little Lloyd Payne reciting Psalm 23. Pallbearers were Matthew Deal, Jesse Deal, Adam Deal, Corey Deal, Aaron Talley, Daniel Deal, Trevis Deal, James Barnes, David Rymer, and Harold Allen. Honorary Pallbearers were Danny Caldwell, Rev. Jo Dan Wilkens, Rev. Billy Cantrell, Dennis Barnes, Little Lloyd Payne, and the area ministers. The family received 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 was in charge of these arrangements.