Daniel Edwin Payne
03/20/1946-09/07/2025
In the early hours of Sunday, September 7, Dan passed away after bravely fighting MS and bladder cancer.
During his month-long hospital stay, Dan was surrounded by the love of family and friends from near and far.
Dan is survived by his loving wife, Penny, and their four children: Graham, Sarah (Matt), Geoffrey (Kari), and Russell (Laura). He was a proud grandfather to eight grandchildren-Kaylee, Keegan, Jayden, Zachary, Danielle, Finn, Tristan, Beau-and three great-grandchildren: Ciara, Liam, and Adelynn.
Born in Saint James, Dan spent his childhood there and developed a variety of interests and skills. He was both a musician and a pilot who actively contributed to his community by coaching hockey and serving on various committees and boards. He served for many years on the board of directors at the Marine Museum of Manitoba.
Dan was part of Winnipeg’s lively music scene in the 60s and 70s. He played in several bands and toured across Canada with a rock ‘n’ roll band in the mid-60s. One of his favorite musical memories was playing bass with the group Mantae. He also performed for many years in local lounges before joining an eight-piece dance band. Alongside performing, Dan wrote numerous songs.
Above everything else, Dan was a dedicated family man. He met Penny while they were still in high school. Together they built their home on River Road in St Andrews where they raised their four children. It’s no surprise that Dan often played guitar and sang to his kids-and later to his grandkids-especially during bath time.
Dan’s passion for flying started as a child when he watched planes take off and land at Stevenson Field from behind a fence. He trained at the Winnipeg Flying Club where he eventually became Chief Flying Instructor. Later on, he worked with Transport Canada making trips throughout western Canada and even up into the Arctic. In 1985 he had the honor of being invited by a close friend to join the New York to Paris Air Rally-a memory he cherished deeply.
After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis Dan lost his commercial pilot license but astonishingly became one of the first commercial pilots to regain it after such a diagnosis. Throughout his battle with MS, he formed a close friendship with his neurologist. Sadly, after requiring quadruple bypass surgery later on, he permanently lost his pilot privileges.
He turned back to another one of his great loves-music. Dan continued performing professionally for many years after that and even released an album featuring children’s music. In recent times he recorded many original compositions with help from a special friend.
Dan will be greatly missed by all who knew him well.
To honor his memory, donations can be made to either the Marine Museum of Manitoba or organizations like Multiple Sclerosis Society or Heart and Stroke Foundation.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Daniel Payne, please visit our floral store.
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