A MEMORIAL TO MY FATHER ZELMAR BRYAN PAYNE
A MEMORIAL TRIBUTE TO MY FATHER
ZELMAR BRYAN PAYNE
APRIL 18, 1921 - APRIL 10, 2000
MY DAD ZELMAR BRYAN PAYNE WAS BORN ON
APRIL 18, 1921 IN MASON CITY, IOWA, HE MOVED
OUT TO VANCOUVER, WASHINGTON DURING THE
GREAT DEPRESSION, WHERE HE ATTENDED
WASHINGTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, SHUMWAY
JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL, AND GRADUATED FROM
VANCOUVER HIGH SCHOOL IN 1941 ALL IN
VANCOUVER, WASHINGTON. THEN HE WORKED FOR
A WHILE THEN ENTERED UNITED STATES ARMY AIR
CORPS TO BE A PILOT IN 1943.
MY DAD'S 1943 GRADUATION PICTURE
FROM THE UNITED STATES ARMY AIR CORPS,
CADET SCHOOL AS A QUALIFIED B-
17 & B-29 BOMBER PILOT WW II FROM PYOTE,
TEXAS.
MY DAD STANDING IN UNIFORM INFRONT OF HIS
PARENT'S PLACE, B. F. PAYNE 2900 BRIDGE AVE
IN VANCOUVER, WA 1944.
B-17
B-29
MY DAD AND MOM'S 50th
WEDDING ANNEVERARY
PICTURE.
MY DAD WORKED FOR A WHILE AFTER HIGH
SCHOOL GRADUATION WHERE HE WORKED AT THE
DEL MONTE CANNING FACTORY, THEN WENT ON TO
WORK IN THE POT ROOMS AT ALCOA ALUNINUM
PLANT ALL IN VANCOUVER, WASHINGTON. THEN
ENLISTED IN THE U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS IN 1943.
WHILE IN THE SERVICE HE WENT ON AS AN
ASSIGNED MATH TEACHER FOR DOING LOG
RYTHEMS IN HIGH CALCULUS FOR DOING WEIGHT
DISTRIBUTION FOR PROPER LOAD OF MUNITIONS
ON BOARD THE BIG BOMBERS AND WAS SENT TO
SCHOOL WHERE HE GRADUATED FROM THE
UNIVERSITY OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA WITH HONORS
IN HIGH MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE, THIS
ASSIGNMENT KEPT HIM FROM GOING INTO
COMBAT.
SO AFTER BEING HONORABLY DISCHARGED
FROM WHAT CHANGED TO THE ARMY AIR FORCE
HE THEN WENT BACK TO ALCOA ALUNIMIUM
PLANT WHERE HE THEN BECAME THE SENIOR
CHEMIST AND WORKED FOR ALCOA FOR FORTY
TWO YEARS AS A SCIENTIST. 
MY DAD WAS A GOOD MAN HE RAN TRACK AND
PLAYED FOOTBALL IN HIGH SCHOOL, HE ALSO
LOVED SKIING, HE TOOK MOUNTIAN CLIMBING
TRAINING WITH THE MAZAMA MOUNTIAN
CLIMBING SCHOOL ON MOUNT HOOD, OREGON, HE
THEN CLIMBED MOUNT SAINT HELENS,
WASHINGTON, MOUNT RAINIER, WASHINGTON
AND WAS SHOOTING TO CLIMB MOUNT MCKINLEY,
ALASKA BUT I WAS BORN ABOUT THAT TIME SO
THAT STOPPED THAT! HE ALSO LOVED TENNIS,
SWIMMING, GOLF AND BOWLING.
I HELPED HIM BUILD THREE HOUSES AND ONE
CHURCH FOR HE ALSO LOVED ARCHTECHUAL
DESIGN AND MODEL RAILROADING AS PASS TIME
HOBBIES BESIDES HIS DAILY ROUTINE AS A
SCIENTIST FOR ALCOA!
MY DAD HELPED ME TO PITCH FOR LITTLE LEAGUE
BASEBALL BY THROWING A BALL INTO A TWO
POUND COFFEE CAN, HE HAD ME TRAINED BY A
PROFESSIONAL GOLFER SO WE COULD BOTH GO
GOLFING, AND HE TAUGHT ME HOW TO WORK
HARD AND SAVE MY MONEY FOR SCHOOL. YES MY
DAD WAS A VERY WELL MANNERED, BRILLIANT,
AND A VERY ATHELETICAL AND WELL ROUNDED
GUY! I'AM PROUD TO HAVE BEEN YOUR SON, I
LOVE YOU DAD!
YOUR LOVING SON,
Gregory Zelmar Payne
