Myrna Louise Stetten Paye, 96, of Newcastle, passed away at her home on the morning of May 22, 2023. Born on May 9, 1927 in Adrian, Mich., she was the daughter of Kitti M. Dermyer and James W. Stetten.
She graduated from Adrian High School in 1944, after which she attended Sienna Heights Academy, majoring in fine arts.
After the death of her mother in 1946, she moved to Rochester, N.Y., working for the University of Rochester Cyclotron Lab, where through a friend she met Glenn Paye, who she married on Aug. 29, 1952. While in Rochester, she also worked for Eastman Kodak Co. and studied voice with Eric Leinsdorf and sang with the Rochester Oratorio Society for five years.
After Glenn’s discharge from the U.S. Air Force, they lived in Tupper Lake, N.Y., and in 1960 moved to Highland Mills, N.Y., where they lived until they retired to Maine in 1989. In New York, Myrna and three friends founded the Monroe-Woodbury Garden Club. She studied Ikebana with Toshiho Alden and attended Ikenobo School in Kyoto, Japan.
Besides her parents, she was predeceased by her husband, Glenn, in 2017.
She is survived by her daughter, Glenda Paye; son, Jeff Paye; and granddaughter, Melanie Amos.
A time of visitation will be held from 4-6 p.m., on Thursday, June 1, 2023 at the Strong-Hancock Funeral Home in Damariscotta. She will be laid to rest privately with Glenn at the Maine Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery in Augusta.
Arrangements are under the direction and care of the Strong-Hancock Funeral Home at 612 Main Street, Damariscotta, ME 04543. Condolences, and messages for her family, may be expressed by visiting stronghancock.com.
