Dennis "Denny" Payne III

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 29, 2026 at First Lutheran Church, 1234 SW Fairlawn Road, Topeka, KS 66604, for Dennis C. Payne III (Denny). Denny died on Saturday, September 12, 2026.

Denny was President and Chairman at Brier Payne Meade Insurance from 1977 until he retired in 2012.

He was born in Wichita, KS on June 5, 1945, the son of Dennis C. and Lillian G. Payne. He graduated from Topeka West High School and Washburn University. He lived in Topeka his entire life. He loved First Lutheran Church and was an active member there.

Sports were a big part of Denny’s life, and he loved coaching youth basketball and baseball teams. Denny was a basketball player and golfer for most of his life. In 1990, he was inducted into the Washburn University Athletic Hall of Fame, and in 1998 he was inducted into the first class of the Topeka West Athletic Hall of Fame. He was an NAIA All-American in basketball at Washburn in 1967, and played on three golf teams at Washburn that competed in the NAIA National Golf Tournament. Denny was runner-up in the 1969 Kansas Golf Association State Amateur tournament at Rolling Hills in Wichita, and he partnered up with Bill Mosimann to win the 1996 Kansas Golf Association State Four-Ball Championship at Alvamar in Lawrence. He won the 1986 Topeka City Match Play Championship and was a member of numerous 2-ball and 4-ball championships in Topeka.

Denny was a member of many Boards in the Topeka community. He served as President of the Topeka Public Schools Foundation, Topeka Insurers, Big Brother-Big Sisters, the Capitol City Basketball League, and First Lutheran Church.

He married Darlene Larson on June 7, 1968. She survives.

Other survivors include three sons, Todd (Kelly), Jonathan (Sarah), and Timothy (Rachel). Denny and Darlene have 11 grandchildren including six granddaughters (Addison, Olivia, Charlotte, Sylvia, Brooklyn, and Kennedy) and five grandsons (Ethan, Perry, Hank, Kash, and Kolt). Denny’s sister, Shelley Ford of Atlanta, GA, survives. Denny’s brother-in-law, Tim Larson of Las Vegas, NV, also survives.

Cremation is planned. Dove Cremations & Funerals is in charge of arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the First Lutheran Church.

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