Ernie was born on the 17th December 1937 in Queen Charlotte’s hospital,
Marylebone. He was the youngest child of Jack and Clara Payne having one
brother and four sisters. He and his sister Pat attended the Sunday school at
Marylebone Salvation Army. He was noted for getting up to mischief and one
bonfire night threw a firework in to the army hall. The YP band leader Jim
Savings and my mum caught him and thought a better way of using his talents was
to learn an instrument. He was given a euphonium which he would practice
regularly on the nearby ‘bombsite’ thus earning him a mention along with a
photo in the local paper. He was once stopped by a policeman who thought he
must have stolen the instrument, but fortunately my mum, who was passing at
that time in her uniform, proudly said ‘he is one of my boys’. He continued
playing euphonium in the senior band until he was called up for national
service in 1956. He joined the Royal Worcestershire Regimental band and was
promptly put on cornet. He served in Jamaica for 3 years and never stopped
talking about that wonderful time. On his return to Marylebone in 1959 he once
again took his place in the band and later on became band master, attending the
centenary march at Crystal Palace in 1965 with 99 other BM’s He taught many
young people to play musical instruments and was a great encourager and would
follow their achievements with great joy. Only a few Sundays ago he was here in
this hall taking his place in the band. He was a bandsman for 70 years and each
time he played, it was his service to the Lord. He was also a songster and for
15 years was involved in the soup run to feed and clothe the homeless in
London. On one occasion cradling a man who had had an epileptic fit in the foul
smelling bandstand in Lincoln’s Inn fields until the ambulance arrived. He
always went the extra mile. I first met Ernie in 1959 at a welcome home tea in
Marylebone hall following his return from national service. My mum had been
sending him copies of the musician, out to Jamaica for 3 years, but being in
high school I did not take much notice of this. I had just started work in
Lloyds bank and on a Friday night would go to the army torch bearers (youth
club), to wind down from the busy work/army activities each night. It was a
great night, we had a lovely circle of friends and Ernie joined our group.
Friendship soon turned to love and on the 9th June 1962 we were married
in Marylebone hall. What a wonderful life we have had. 3 beautiful daughters,
Debbie, Belinda and Nicola, who married Shane, Steve and Steve giving us 5
wonderful and loving grandchildren, Charlie, Bradley, Adam, Emma, and Alison.
Ernie knew he was loved by them all and he loved them dearly. Ernie worked for
B.T as an engineer for over 30 years until his retirement in 1994 due to ill
health. When he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s 21 years ago our world fell apart,
how would we cope? but we did with the help of our family and good friends and
our faith in the Lord. We enjoyed more foreign holidays than we could ever have
imagined and visited his sisters in Canada and Australia (who miss him dearly
too) He never let it beat him, he never complained, when asked how he was his
reply was always’ I’m fine’ even to the doctors.

He fought it to the end. I was there by his hospital bedside when he took his last breath. It was a very special moment it really was ‘until death do us part’

He was a beautiful person, caring, loving, encouraging, supportive always putting others before himself, and he had a wonderful relationship with his Lord, his faith
was so strong. I shall miss him dearly, my heart is breaking because I shall
never hear him call my name, never see his lovely smile again, nor feel his
arms around me.

Goodbye my darling, I will love you forever and I know we will meet again in Gods good time. Kath xxxx