Biography
Mrs. Nancy Payne
Nancy Payne was born in Peterborough, Ontario where she also grew up, the eldest of three sisters. Her father worked for a company in the technology industry and her mother worked as a stay-at-home mom. She attended local schools in the city including St. Anne Elementary School and St. Peter Secondary School.
As someone who enjoyed artistic endeavours and had worked in the fashion section of a department store, Nancy was later drawn into hairstyling. She worked as a hairdressing apprentice for three years before receiving her official license on the first try – a unique accomplishment at that time. She loved her work in that field, and throughout those work years, had lots of fun bowling and going dancing.
It was during that time that Nancy met her husband David who was also from Peterborough. He is now retired after having served thirty years, in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Infantry. Nancy was introduced to him through a friend. At the time, David was stationed in Germany and the two started communicating by mail. When they eventually met in person, things just clicked, and they married not long after. A life of service led the family to several locations in Ontario including London, Petawawa, and Kingston, and took them overseas to Germany.
The couple had two sons: Chris, who was the eldest, followed by Randy. In later years, Nancy became a personal support worker at a care centre in Gananoque, ON and went on to a leadership role as Activity Director, retiring after twenty years in that profession.
Her husband David, her son Chris, and late son Randy all served with the Canadian Army. Nancy and her husband’s families both have a long history of military service; including the service of several uncles dating to the First and Second World Wars. She says that reality did not hit home until later in life.
Today, Nancy lives with her husband in Lansdowne, ON a village community not far from Gananoque, and enjoys quilting, knitting, and reading. She spends as much time as possible with her friends and family, including four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
For close to nineteen years, in Randy’s memory, Nancy has presented a special athletic award to a deserving student at the secondary school her son Randy attended in Gananoque, ON. The “Captain’s Award” is given to a student who shows leadership, athletic skill, and has good marks. Nancy’s son had loved hockey and was good at it, becoming a local star and captain of the Gananoque Islanders, a former Junior B hockey league team. She also speaks about him on that occasion. “I just want people to know about him, and I don’t want people to forget him,” she says.
As Canada’s National Silver Cross Mother, Nancy feels it is a great honour to represent all mothers and families who have lost a loved one in the line of duty. She wants to keep Randy’s and each fallen member’s spirit alive. “Never forget what they did for us. They gave their lives, we can’t forget that… we have what we have because of them.”
Biography
Corporal Randy Payne
Corporal Randy Joseph Payne served with 1 Garrison Military Police Company, based in Wainwright, Alberta. Born on May 29, 1973, in Lahr Germany where his family was stationed at the time, he spent his teenaged years in Gananoque, Ontario. Later, he and his wife chose to raise their young family in that same town.
Randy was killed in action in Afghanistan on April 22, 2006, while serving as a member of the “Close Protection” team assigned to that mission. He died alongside three other soldiers, when a roadside bomb struck the military G-Wagon they were driving while returning to Kandahar Airfield from an operating base. His mother Nancy clearly recalls the devastating moment when she happened to be at home by herself and learned of her son’s passing in the middle of the night.
“I couldn’t believe it,” she says. “I know when they join, you think it’s possible that something could happen but you never think it would happen to your own,” she shares.
As a young man, Randy wanted to be a policeman; and eventually joined the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in 2003. Described by his mother as someone who was fit, smart and picked things up quickly, he loved his military policing work. “That was his forte, he excelled at everything,” she said. He first trained as a Military Police Officer in Alberta and is said by a good friend who served with him, to have swiftly mastered the role, performing his duties with “skill, enthusiasm and finesse.” He began his military life assigned to the Royal Canadian Air Force Military Police and was later assigned to the Canadian Army.
“He enjoyed the excitement and thrill of it… it’s what he wanted to do, his heart was really in it,” his mother says. She characterizes his work ethic and overall attitude as having been “fair, firm, and friendly.” She clearly remembers the day she happened to be visiting him at CFB Wainwright in Alberta, when he got the call that he was heading to Afghanistan. He was raring to go. She was not looking forward to it, but she kept that feeling to herself. He was so excited that she was happy for him.
Her son had applied and successfully became a member of the Close Protection team for Canada’s mission in Afghanistan in 2005, just two years after he had joined the CAF. The team’s role was to safeguard VIPs such as people in authority who arrived in Afghanistan – individuals like former Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and former Chief of the Defence Staff, General (Ret’d) Rick Hillier. Randy was deployed in 2006, and part of the very first Close Protection team to go. While there, he was assigned to Regional Command South Commander, Brigadier General (Ret’d) David Fraser - who regularly called the team his “posse,” as his parents recall.
Randy was the 15th of 158 Canadian soldiers to give their lives during Canada’s mission in Afghanistan. He continues to be honoured in several ways including the inscription of his name on the Canadian Police & Peace Officers Memorial in Ottawa; on a bridge in Gananoque, ON, and on the town’s local cenotaph. His former secondary school displays a plaque and picture at its entrance, in his honour. “To think that the school remembers him…I think it’s wonderful that he’s remembered that way,” says his mother.
With his wife Jody, Randy had two young children at the time of his passing. His son Tristan is now a combat engineer in the CAF, and his daughter Jasmine is a personal support worker. Randy is described as having doted on his family and is remembered by those who knew him as a good friend with “a broad smile and ready laugh.”
Past recipients
Every year, Legion Provincial Commands and individuals forward
nominations for the selection of a National Silver Cross Mother. These
nominations are reviewed by a selection committee at Dominion Command
and one mother is chosen for the year which begins on 01 November until
31 October of the following year.