Ross D Payne

Ross D. Payne, 88, passed away on Friday, February 7, 2014. Funeral services will be conducted at 2pm, Saturday, February 15th, in Coffelt’s Funeral Chapel. Dale Coffelt will be officiating with interment in Pinecrest Memorial Park. Ross was born on Oct. 17, 1925 the son of Jim and Sarah Payne in Pocatello, Idaho. He grew up in the Arbon Valley and graduated from Pocatello High School in 1943. He served with the US Navy from 1944 until 1946 then earned his pharmaceutical degree from Idaho State College, in Pocatello, on June 16, 1951. He married JoAnn Wooters and they had three children Diane, Steve and John. Ross moved to Sandpoint, Idaho going to work for Fly’s Drug on First Avenue. He later established Ross Rexall in Sandpoint, also owning drug stores in Bonners Ferry, Hamilton, Montana and Colville, Washington. He built the NuWay Wash-0-Mat and Dry Cleaning before turning it over to his daughter Diane. He built the car wash next to NuWay and sold it to George Harper and then bought it back for his granddaughter Lori and her husband Andre. He entered into business with Ernie Belwood to establish Belwood’s Furniture and then gave his interest to Ernie. He also had business interests in Ponder Point, NuWay Mini Storage, and City Glass. In 1992 he married Myrna Nelson, from Bonners Ferry. They enjoyed traveling in their motorhome, spending winters in Arizona and summers at his cabin on the lake. He was a loving father and will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Sandpoint has lost one of its greatest supporters. He is survived by his wife Myrna; his daughter Diane (Ernie) Belwood; son Steve (Annette) Payne; sister Carol Jorgenson; grandchildren Butch and Jessie Belwood; Lori (Andre) Stites; Jeff (Mary) Payne; Sara (Monti) Myrvik; great grandchildren Erica, Nick, Tanner, Halea, Hannah, Julia and Kobe Stites; Madison and Taylor Payne; and a great great grandson Brandon Lindsay. Also surviving are step sons David (Karol) Nelson; Hal (Cindy) Nelson; Keith (Karen) Nelson; step grandchildren Brian Nelson, Michelle Nelson, Andrew Nelson, Jeannie Nelson and Robin Crackell. He was preceded in death by his parents Jim and Sara Payne, Sister Vera (Bud) Roper, his son John Payne and a great granddaughter Taija Belwood.