Patrick Lee Payne

Patrick Lee Payne (1971-2021) Patrick Lee “Paddy” Payne, born Dec. 28, 1971 in Hurst, Texas, died unexpectedly on Aug. 28, 2021 in Las Cruces. Patrick grew up in Yuma, Arizona and graduated from Kofa High School in Yuma in 1990. He graduated from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces in 2004 with a bachelor of arts degree in English and a minor in history. Patrick graduated from the University of New Orleans in 2010 with a master of arts in theatre. Patrick is survived by his loving wife, Janet Beatty-Payne, whom he married June 13, 2014. Patrick and Janet were husband and wife, companions and best friends. He is also survived by his stepson, Spencer Mazdra (Janet remembers well that Patrick has been an amazing stepdad and best buddy to Spencer for the past 11 years); his father, William Payne and Bill’s wife, Chea Smith; his brother, Mark Payne; his stepsisters Linda Carroll and Mary Dunny; his Aunt Willene Williams, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. Patrick was preceded in death by his mother, Sharon Esgar, and stepfather, Roger Esgar. Janet and Patrick are well known to the Farmers and Crafts Market of Las Cruces and many other local venues as the owners of the Green Chile Paddy Wagon food truck, which they purchased and began operating in 2014. The food truck has won many awards during the seven years that Janet and Patrick have owned it, including best food truck, best quesadilla and best French fries in the 2021 Bulletin’s Best of the Mesilla Valley. Patrick also worked for many years as a title examiner for Las Cruces Abstract and Title Company. He also worked as an adjunct professor of English at NMSU for four years and was a graduate teaching assistant at the University of New Orleans for four semesters, where he taught acting and public speaking. Patrick was active in performing, directing and volunteering at Las Cruces Community Theatre, Black Box Theatre, lo-fi productions, the NMSU Theatre Department, the UTEP Theatre Department and other theatres in Las Cruces and El Paso during the past 25 years. He served as chair of LCCT’s play selection committee for more than six years and acted in and directed more than 50 productions. His many roles included leading parts in “Prelude to a Kiss,” “Uncle Vanya,” “Psycho Beach Party,” “Lonesome West” and “Beyond Therapy” at Black Box Theatre, where he also starred as Doc Holliday in the one-man show “Doc Holliday and the Angel of Mercy.” For LCCT, he directed “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas,” “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf,” “Shadowlands” and “Enemy of the People,” among many others. Patrick also acted in many plays at LCCT, including “Crimes of the Heart,” “Of Mice and Men,” “A Thousand Clowns,” “Hamlet” and “Twelve Angry Men,” and even sang a bit in “Solider Boys.” One of his most memorable performances at LCCT was as Teddy in “When You Comin’ Back, Red Rider?” which was written and directed by Tony winner Mark Medoff. Among the many lo-fi productions shows in which Patrick was involved, he starred in “Glengarry Glenn Ross” and “Fool for Love,” he wrote and directed a one-man show about Jacob Marley, and he wrote and starred in “The Vanity of Jack,” about one of his literary heroes, Jack Kerouac. Patrick was also a founding member of Doña Ana Repertory Theatre (DART). Janet said one of her favorite memories is “the way Patrick holds my hand. Tightly and lovingly. As if he will never let go. When he holds my hand, I feel safe and loved. We rarely walk next to each other without holding hands. I love the way he calls me ‘darlin’.’ She also will remember his kind spirit and generous heart, his creativity, wealth of knowledge, and his incredible love for his cats. Memorial donations can be made in the name of Patrick Payne to Las Cruces Community Theatre, P.O. Box 1281, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88004. Or, make donations to the Cat’s Meow, 2211 N. Mesquite St., Las Cruces, New Mexico 88001 or online at https://donorbox.org/century-club-donor.