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Celebrating the life of Ann Cantey Payne.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 9, 2026
Agreed to by the Senate, March 11, 2026
WHEREAS, Ann Cantey Payne, an accomplished businesswoman, devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, and active and beloved member of the Richmond community, died on April 7, 2025; and
WHEREAS, shortly after her first year at what was then Randolph-Macon Women's College, Ann Payne's life was upended when her parents, Morgan and Ted Cantey, died in a plane crash; with great tenacity and resolve, as well as the love and care of her foster parents, H.E. and Caroline Steele, she overcame this early adversity to live a joyful and fulfilling life; and
WHEREAS, Ann Payne married her husband, Bob Payne, in 1964 and was an invaluable source of support for him throughout his legal career in the military, in private practice, and as a judge; and
WHEREAS, Ann Payne gave generously of her time for the benefit of the Richmond community as a member of the junior board of what is today the Virginia Home for Boys and Girls, as an officer in the Junior League of Richmond, as an advisor to the youth group at All Saints Episcopal Church, and as a volunteer mentor at Fairfield Court Elementary School as part of the Peter Paul RVA mission at St. James's Episcopal Church; and
WHEREAS, Ann Payne explored her creative talents as a seamstress by producing clothing and wedding dresses for her daughters, nieces, and family friends, a passion that led her in 1983 to cofound the specialty fabric store Cut It Out, later Creations, which she ran successfully with her partner Micki Stout until they sold the business and retired in 2000; and
WHEREAS, Ann Payne loved learning and traveling and, above all else, enjoyed quality time with her family and loved ones, whether at the Steele homes in Georgia, Florida, or Alabama, in Richmond for Thanksgiving, or at her retreat, the Argonauta, in Cannon Beach, Oregon, for Christmas and other special occasions; and
WHEREAS, Ann Payne will be fondly remembered and dearly missed by her loving husband of 60 years, Bob; her children, Ashley, Kimball, Whitney, Caroline, and Melanie, and their families; and numerous other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of Ann Cantey Payne, a treasured member of the Richmond community whose light brightened countless lives; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Ann Cantey Payne as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for her memory.