Jill Kelley Payne Jill Kelley Payne passed away on August 9, 2024. She was born on April 11, 1957, to Jack and Dee Kelley, formerly of East Brainerd, who predeceased her. Jill graduated from Tyner High School in 1974 and went on to study court reporting and general business administration at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She spent most of her adult life as a stay-at-home mom and mother to her two children, Nevelyn Noblit Trumpeter (Kevin) and Jack Noblit (Amber). She was preceded in death by her younger sister, Keri Ermer, and is survived by two older sisters, Nedra Kelley and Janine Dawson (Frank). She also leaves behind her special friend and partner, Michael Beck. She also leaves behind her grandchildren, Will and Bela Trumpeter and Weston and Colby Noblit. She is also survived by several nephews and nieces, Dana Villar, Jada Arthur, Stacia Buttrey, John Dawson, Martha Coleman, Davis Ermer, Marc Ermer, Samatha Ermer, Eric and Adam Scott, Scott and Jason Noblit, and Gini Slatton, and numerous great nieces and nephews. Jill was a fun-loving and enterprising soul. She survived a very serious accident on January 1, 2004 and battled bravely with the aftermath of that accident which left her severely disabled. She would not have survived a devastating fire without the heroic efforts of her son Jack and nephew Jason. For the next 20 years, Jill was cared for by her dutiful children Jack and Nevelyn who made sure she had everything she needed to live a comfortable life. The family will hold a memorial service to honor her life on Saturday, August 17th at 11:30 a.m. at the home of her former sister-in-law, Suzanne Forlidas, located at 11 Minnekahda Place at Riverview in Chattanooga. A luncheon will follow for family, friends and others who wish to attend. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to a charity of your choice to benefit the bereaved.
Published August 15, 2024
