Westford Academy Grad Dies at 87

The following obituary is from Dee Funeral Home:

Sophie A. (Minko) Payne, 87, of Concord died Thursday August 7, 2014 in Acton. She was the beloved wife of the late Warren T. “Sonny” Payne who died in 2003.

Born in Westford on May 21, 1927 she was the daughter of the late William J. Minko and Eveokia (Worobey) Minko. She attended Westford schools and was a graduate of Westford Academy.

She became a resident of Concord following her marriage to Mr. Payne in the late 1940s.

For several years she was employed at the West Concord 5 & 10, and later as manager of Sanborn Middle School cafeteria in Concord.

She was the mother of William J. Payne and his wife Debbie of Wayland, Daniel J. Payne and his wife Jane of Concord, John H. Payne and his wife Cheryl of Somerville, AL, Janet M. Payne DiFranco and her husband Nick of Uxbridge and the late W. Thomas “Tommy” Payne. She was also the sister of Anthony Minko and his wife Winnie of Lancaster and the late Nicholas Minko and Mary Beskalo, and is also survived by 5 grandchildren and many nieces, nephews and friends.

Funeral will be held Tuesday Aug. 12th from the Dee Funeral Home, 27 Bedford Street, CONCORD CENTER at 9 am followed by a funeral Mass in Holy Family Parish, Monument Square, Concord at 10 am.

Interment will follow in St. Bernard’s Cemetery, Concord.

Visiting hours at the Dee Funeral Home will be on Monday August 11th from 4 to 7 pm.

Donations in her memory may be made to Perkins School for the Blind, 175 N. Beacon St., Watertown, MA 02472 (www.perkins.org).