Robert A. (Bob) Payne, Sr., 98, of Utica, New York, entered into eternal rest on October 25, 2012. He was born in East Utica on February 8, 1914, to Willis and Nettie (Robinson) Payne (Paine). Bob and his parents moved to Deerfield in 1918 where he resided with his family his entire life. Bob attended Deerfield #2 School on Riverside Drive, and was a member of North Utica's Horatio Seymour School's first graduating class in 1927. He was class treasurer and played on the school's baseball team. Bob attended Assumption Academy, Utica Free Academy, and Excelsior School of Business, where he met his wife and life partner Erma Doxstader of Little Falls, New York, who he married in October 1935. Through his study with the Material Handling Institute Bob became a certified material handling professional. He was an avid reader and a constant student. Bob had a great love of sports. In his younger years he was a semi-pro baseball pitcher for the Municipal Baseball League. He pitched for several championship teams, including the Utica Independents, Roberts Hardware and Burky's Tavern. He managed and promoted baseball in the Central New York/Mohawk Valley Muny League. His wife, Erma, was the league's first official woman scorekeeper. Bob spearheaded the drive to bring professional hockey back to Utica after the Mohawk Valley Comets left the area. He was owner of the Utica Mohawk Hockey Club. The East Coast Hockey League named their championship trophy, "The Bob Payne Cup", in his honor. He was an avid fan of Syracuse Orange basketball and the New York Yankees. During the 40's Bob worked at Savage Arms as a production control dispatcher in the "A-Gun" division. He was one of the first local residents to be hired by the Bendix Aviation Plant on Seward Avenue in Utica. As Assistant Production Manager he was responsible for the procurement of industrial handling equipment. Bob was involved in many community and charitable organizations throughout his life. As a member of the Utica Area Chamber of Commerce, he held the offices of Director and President. He was on the Board of Directors for the Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, where he also served as Board President. CABVI honored his years of dedication and service by bestowing him with the coveted Director Emeritus Award. For his work with the Utica Rotary he received their highest award, the Paul Harris Fellow Award. Bob held the positions of chief and past chief, and sat on the Board of Directors of Engine 11. He had been an active member on the Board of Directors of the Otsego Mutual Insurance Company and was a member of its Executive Committee. He was also a 3rd degree Knight of Columbus. As an avid gun collector, Bob was a life benefactor of the NRA. He was a member of the Whitesboro American Legion, served in State and National Guard Units and the US Army at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He belonged to the 40/8 club. Bob was a member of the Yahnundasis Golf and Country Club; the Fort Schuyler Club and its Yacht Squadron. Bob chaired the search committee responsible for relocating the Oneida County Historical Society to its present site. He was a member of the renovations committee and co-chaired the building fund drive to make those renovations possible. He remained a life-long member of the Utica Historical Society. Bob was a devote communicant of Historic Old St. John's Church where he served on the parish council and successfully co-chaired two major fund drives. Bob and Erma co-founded the US Materials Handling Corporation in 1956. The company is well known and respected throughout the United States and internationally. The success of the business was due to their business acumen and reputation for outstanding service and fairness to the customer. Together they pursued a dream and led USMH to become a leader in the industry. Incorporating business with pleasure, Bob and Erma traveled to nearly all fifty states and to many countries throughout the world. Their greatest joy, however, was spending time with family at their summer home on the Black River in Port Leyden, which was built on his mother's homestead. Bob was predeceased by his beloved wife Erma D. Payne in 2002, and his sons-in-law, Patrick Burke, Brian Longway, John (Jack) DuPrau and daughter-in-law Linda Dowd Payne. Bob's marriage to Erma was blessed with eight children: Robert (Joan) Payne Jr.; Deanne Burke (fiancée Ray Carr); Jon Payne; Patricia (James) Carruthers; Mary Lou (Terence) Coughlin; Carole Longway; Michael Payne and Cynthia DuPrau. Twenty grandchildren: Robert (Lisa) Payne III; Denise(Steven) Burline; Deborah Hajdasz (companion John Lawendowski); Michelle Ward; Kelley Cough; Kathleen Burke; Judie (Patrick) Hamilton; Jackie (Steven) Gecewicz; Jon (Jeannie) Payne Jr.; Tracy (Shaun) O'Brien; Karen (Chris) Clarke; Robin (Josh Coles) Carruthers; Terence (Thea) Coughlin Jr.; Melissa (Michael Lee) Coughlin; Brian Longway Jr.; KimberlyLongway; Michael Payne Jr., Amy (Daniel) Conte; Stacy (Eugene) Santa Croce; Beth Clayton (fiancée Sergey Zaishnikov). Thirty-eight Great Grandchildren: Ryan Payne; Nicole and Jessica Burline; Tija (Ernie) Marcello; Tiffany Hajdasz (fiancée Anthony Brandal); Mikayla and Joshua Ward; Kathryn and Connor Cough; Aaron Benjamin; Rebecca (Jason) Barker; Valerie and Patrick Hamilton; Alexander and George Gecewicz; Lindsay, Caroline and Grace Payne; Shane, Megan and Colin O'Brien; Rachel Kreis; Philomena and Finnian Coles-Carruthers; Terence Coughlin III; Nathaniel and Helen Lee; Brett and Daniel Longway; Caitlyn Longway; Rachel Fuller; Alyssa Clayton; Kaitlynn Conte; Nicholas, Philip, and Evelyn Santa Croce; Adam and Matthew Zaishnikov. And, 3 Great-Great Grandchildren: Broc and Kenadi Barker; and Gianna Marcello. Bob was very devoted to his family, church, community, business and co-workers. He was a hard-worker, a pioneer and an innovator. He was a very generous man and a friend to everyone he met. He will be remembered, and deeply missed by all who knew and loved him. Bob is now surrounded by his past loved ones and re-united with his loving companion of 73 years, his wife, Erma. May God's peace be with him. Bob's family would like to express a heartfelt thankyou to Dr. L.Win and the staff at Faxton-St. Luke's Healthcare Center for all the care and kindness to Bob and his family. Calling hours for Mr. Payne will be held from 4:00 till 7:00 pm Monday, October 29, 2012 at the Heintz Funeral Home, 408 Herkimer Road, North Utica. Funeral services will be Tuesday at 10:00 am at Historic Old St. John's Church, 240 Bleecker Street, Utica. His entombment will be at Resurrection Chapel Mausoleum, at Holy Trinity Cemetery following the funeral mass. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Historic Old St. John's Church, or Central Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired, 507 Kent Street, Utica, 13501.