Toni Payne

PAYNE, Toni F., 73, died Sunday, Oct. 18, 2015, after fighting lung cancer for several months. She was with her devoted husband Ty and her daughters Stacy (Adrien) Ardoin and Alexis (Thomas) Font. Ella Fitzgerald was singing on the radio. Toni is also survived by her grandchildren: Audrey and Ty Ardoin; and Anabelle and Lily Font; as well as by her sister Lacey (Richard) McKinstry of Springfield, Matthew (Elissa) and Caitlin McKinstry, her nephew and niece, and a host of loving cousins. Born in Cleveland to George and Georgine Fischer, she remained proud of her roots in northern Ohio and of her family. One of her grandfathers, the Reverend Doctor H. W. Bartels, was the long-time pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Cleveland, and the other, George J. Fischer, was the co-founder of the architectural ornamentation firm of Fischer and Jirouch. An alumnus of Ashland College (class of '64), she did graduate work at Wright State University, and taught K-2nd grade in both the Dayton and Oakwood Public School systems. Toni was a member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Oakwood, where she was chairman of the rummage sale for several years. In addition, she was a board member of the Little Exchange, and served on the board of Smith Memorial Gardens. Many of her best friends were made through the Dayton Country Club, where she and Ty have been active members. Toni survived breast cancer in the 1980s, and was always willing to share her story with, and give comfort to, anyone in a similar situation. She was also a devotee of, and amateur expert in, American antiques, particularly those of the early 19th century and the Colonial Era. She was a member of the Greater Dayton Antique Study Group, and was well-known and respected among collectors and dealers from Ohio to Indiana. Her lovingly curated collection is a monument to her taste, love of beauty, and sense of history. Toni was a friend to waitstaff on two continents. There will be a memorial service for Toni at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Oakwood at 3 PM on Friday, October 23, 2015. There will be a reception immediately afterward at the Dayton Country Club, open to all who knew and loved her. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations in her name be made to Smith Memorial Gardens, c/o Carol Collins, 105 Patterson Rd., Oakwood, OH 45419 or to the Miami Valley Hospital Foundation, Champions of Hope, 31 Wyoming St., Dayton, OH 45409.