Joy Payne

Joy Payne, age 88, of Lexington, and widow of John Howard Payne, passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, under hospice care. A lifelong resident of Lexington, Joy was born on February 17, 1937, to the late Edgar Franklin Johnson, Jr. and Helen Adline (Taliaferro) Johnson. She was a devoted Baptist whose faith guided her life and service to others.

Joy was a proud graduate of Lafayette High School, class of 1955. She enjoyed a successful 25-year career at First Security Bank, where her dedication and professionalism earned the respect of her colleagues and clients alike.

Her commitment to the Lexington community was remarkable. For 26 years, Joy was the driving force behind the annual Christmas party at the Lexington Senior Center, bringing joy and celebration to countless seniors. She was also a founder of the SEMP charity, which, over the same period, provided much-needed medication to many appreciative seniors in Lexington. In addition, Joy served as a caring class aide at Picadome Elementary for two years, touching the lives of many children, including her grandson Dakota, and staff.

Joy was a talented artist and an expert at flower arranging, sharing her creativity and love of beauty with family and friends. She also found great pleasure in reading and listening to music, hobbies that enriched her vibrant life, which also included many travel destinations.

Joy is survived by her beloved children: Kathleen (Jeff) Cox, Mary Helen (Greg) Slone, John (Juana) Payne, Stephanie Crawford, and Tracy (Ken) Dawkins. She was a cherished grandmother to Courtney Priddy, Drew Slone, Sonja Barlow, Dakota Arnold, and Clayton Payne and great-grandmother to Sawyer Barlow. She also leaves behind her siblings, Marge Young and Stephen Johnson, as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Joy was preceded in death by her parents and two brothers, Buddy and Rick Johnson.

Celebration of Life services will be held on Tuesday, February 17, 2026 at Clark Legacy Center in Nicholasville. The visitation will take place from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. The celebration of life service will begin at 1:00 p.m. A private urn burial will follow at Camp Nelson to be with her beloved husband John. 

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations in Joy’s memory to the “Friends of the Lexington Senior Center”, 195 Life Ln, Lexington, 40502, in recognition of her enduring commitment to the well-being of local seniors.