The Madison, Wisconsin arts, education and writing communities are mourning Charles Edward Payne, a beloved writer, poet, teacher, storyteller and mentor whose work centered on creativity, belonging and helping others discover possibilities within themselves.
Charles died at his home in Madison on Saturday, September 19, 2026.
Over the course of his life, he moved through classrooms, universities, community arts organizations and professional spaces, leaving behind memories of a man known for his deep voice, unforgettable laugh, generosity and ability to make people feel welcome.
His wife, Elizabeth “Liz” Boyd, family members and friends have created a memorial honoring his life, while Madison’s Arts + Literature Laboratory has established a literary fund in his name.
Who Was Charles Edward Payne?
Charles Edward Payne was born on April 9, 1985, in Lansing, Michigan, to Carolyn Terry and Charles Edward Terry III.
He grew up alongside his younger sister, Tressha Terry.
From an early age, Charles showed an interest in storytelling and performance.
He participated in theater during junior high school and developed a reputation for creative writing while still a student.
One of his early projects was an ongoing fictional story centered on a character named Charles Levette, which became popular among classmates who eagerly waited for each new installment.
That early interest in storytelling would remain with him throughout adulthood.
Education and Early Career
Charles attended Central Michigan University on a full scholarship.
While at the university, he worked as a resident assistant and became involved in efforts to make students from different backgrounds feel welcome on campus.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Central Michigan University and later entered education as a junior high science and mathematics teacher.
Teaching would become one of several ways Charles invested in younger people.
His career took him through different schools and communities around the country.
He later earned a master’s degree in counseling from Northern Arizona University, adding another dimension to his ability to support students and young adults.
Teaching in Phoenix
After graduating during the economic recession of 2008, Charles moved to Phoenix, Arizona.
He taught at several schools while navigating an uncertain education job market.
Despite those challenges, accounts of his time as a teacher describe someone committed to his students.
He worked to improve academic performance and even helped arrange a trip to Washington, D.C., after one class met its academic goals.
Charles also coached basketball.
His concern for students extended beyond school hours, with his memorial recalling occasions when he walked young players home to make sure they arrived safely.
When one of his teaching positions ended, students and parents reportedly gathered to thank him and show how much his work had meant to them.
Discovering Slam Poetry
Phoenix also became an important place in Charles’ development as a poet.
His longtime friend Jeremiah Blue introduced him to slam poetry.
Charles had always written, but spoken-word performance gave him a new way to combine storytelling with the powerful voice for which he later became known.
He became involved in organizing poetry events and helped bring National Poetry Slam programming and visiting artists to Phoenix audiences.
Charles also competed as part of a team at the National Poetry Slam.
The experience became an important bridge between his life as an educator and his later work as a writer and social artist.
A Career Across Several States
Charles’ academic and professional journey eventually took him to institutions in Texas, Ohio and Indiana.
His work included time connected with St. Edward’s University, Texas Tech University and Oberlin College.
He later lived in South Bend, Indiana, and taught at Career Academy.
Education remained a recurring theme throughout his life, whether he was formally teaching in a classroom, working with university students or helping people recognize their own potential.
Building a Life in Madison
Charles moved to Madison, Wisconsin, in 2018.
Soon afterward, he began working with UW Health as a Career Pathways Coordinator.
His arrival in the city was difficult.
Only days after moving to Madison, severe flooding caused Charles and his household to lose significant possessions, including their apartment and vehicle.
Yet the response he received from people in Madison left a lasting impression on him.
The community support he experienced during that difficult period helped deepen his connection to the city he would eventually call home.
Becoming Part of Madison’s Arts Community
Madison provided Charles with a place where his creative work flourished.
He became deeply involved with Arts + Literature Laboratory, commonly known as ALL.
Charles participated in workshops and poetry classes, performed readings, helped curate exhibitions and contributed to community programming.
He was not simply someone who attended arts events.
He became part of the network of writers, artists and organizers who helped create opportunities for other people.
Arts + Literature Laboratory later remembered Charles as someone who had an unusual ability to recognize potential in others before they recognized it themselves.
That quality made him both a mentor and a community builder.
Charles Payne as a Writer and Poet
Charles produced poetry, essays and theatrical work throughout his years in Madison.
His poems received awards through the local literary community.
He self-published a chapbook titled Love, Payne, Hate and Adversity, bringing together some of his creative writing.
He also wrote a theatrical project titled Da Classroom Ain’t Enuf.
The work combined poems and personal essays examining the American education system through Charles’ experiences as a Black educator who had worked across the United States during a difficult economic period.
The project was developed through Magnetic Theatre’s play incubator program and eventually performed in locations including Clemson, South Carolina; Asheville, North Carolina; and Madison.
A Mentor Who Made Space for Others
Perhaps the strongest theme in the public remembrances of Charles is his ability to make other people feel seen.
He was known as someone who listened carefully.
Friends and colleagues remembered him as a man who could enter a conversation without needing to dominate it, yet command attention whenever he decided to speak.
His physical presence and deep voice could have made him imposing, but those who knew him instead described someone who made people feel safe.
Charles had a particular gift for encouraging younger people.
With nieces, nephews, students and others, he looked for interests and abilities they might not yet recognize in themselves.
Sometimes that encouragement came through advice.
Sometimes it came through humor.
At other times, it came through a book, piece of art or carefully chosen gift that showed he had been paying attention.
Charles and Liz Boyd
Charles met Elizabeth “Liz” Boyd in June 2021.
Their relationship developed quickly around shared interests in music, theater, travel, nature and adventure.
Within a year, the couple had purchased a home together on Madison’s north side.
Their life included morning hikes, coffee trips, theater performances, restaurants, community events and time with their dog, Gertie.
Charles and Liz married in 2024 in Edinburgh, Scotland, before spending their honeymoon in the Scottish Highlands.
His memorial describes that trip as one of the happiest experiences of his life.
Together, the couple also traveled throughout the United States, creating memories in places including New Orleans, Phoenix, Flagstaff, Little Rock, Lansing and Memphis.
Family Remembers Charles Payne
Charles is survived by his wife, Liz Boyd.
He is also survived by his mother, Carolyn Terry; sister, Tressha Terry; niece, Janaya Brown; and nephew, Justin Brown.
His extended family includes his father-in-law, David Boyd, along with sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews.
The memorial created by Liz and friends emphasizes that Charles’ importance cannot be measured only through professional accomplishments.
To his family, he was a husband, son, brother and uncle.
To friends, he was someone whose generosity frequently showed itself through thoughtful gestures.
To writers and artists, he was a collaborator and supporter.
To students and younger people, he was a mentor.
Charles Edward Payne Cause of Death
Following news of his passing, some people have searched for information about Charles Edward Payne’s cause of death.
At this time, no specific cause of death has been publicly disclosed in the memorial information released by his family or Arts + Literature Laboratory.
The family confirms that Charles died at his home in Madison on September 19, 2026, but does not provide further medical details.
For that reason, no illness, medical condition or other circumstance should be assumed to have caused his death.
If the family chooses to share additional information in the future, it can be reported then.
Until that time, his cause of death should be considered private and not publicly confirmed.
What Has Been Confirmed
Charles Edward Payne died on September 19, 2026, at his home in Madison, Wisconsin.
He was born on April 9, 1985, in Lansing, Michigan.
He was a writer, poet, teacher, storyteller, mentor and social artist.
Charles earned his undergraduate degree from Central Michigan University.
He later earned a master’s degree in counseling from Northern Arizona University.
He worked as a teacher and held positions at educational institutions in several states.
In Madison, he worked as a Career Pathways Coordinator with UW Health.
He was closely involved with Arts + Literature Laboratory.
Charles published the chapbook Love, Payne, Hate and Adversity.
He created the theatrical work Da Classroom Ain’t Enuf.
He married Elizabeth “Liz” Boyd in 2024.
What Has Not Been Publicly Confirmed
Charles’ cause of death has not been disclosed.
No detailed medical information surrounding his passing has been made public.
The family has not announced a traditional funeral service.
Because those details remain private, online speculation about how Charles died should not be treated as fact.
No Traditional Funeral Planned
Charles did not want a traditional funeral or service.
His family has instead announced plans for a memorial gathering in spring 2027.
A specific date had not yet been finalized.
The gathering is expected to bring together people from the many communities Charles was part of over the course of his life.
His family has invited friends to share stories, photographs, poems and memories through the memorial website created in his honor.
Rather than flowers, cards or gifts, they have encouraged people to celebrate Charles through the kinds of things he valued most: creativity, community and shared memories.
Charles E. Payne Literary Fund
At the request of Liz Boyd, Arts + Literature Laboratory established the Charles E. Payne Literary Fund.
The fund is intended to expand access to literary programming for writers and community members in Madison.
It is a fitting memorial for someone whose life centered so strongly on encouraging other people to write, create and discover what they were capable of doing.
Through the fund, Charles’ influence can continue by helping others access artistic opportunities that might otherwise remain out of reach.
Remembering Charles Edward Payne
Charles Payne’s story moved through many places.
It began in Lansing.
It continued through Central Michigan, Phoenix, Flagstaff, Texas, Ohio, Indiana and eventually Madison.
Across those places, the details changed, but a consistent pattern remained.
Charles taught.
He wrote.
He listened.
He encouraged.
He created opportunities.
He made people laugh.
And he helped people see possibilities in themselves.
Madison became the place where many of those strands came together.
It was where his poetry flourished, where he became deeply involved in the arts community, where he built a home with Liz and where his voice became familiar to writers and artists throughout the city.
His death leaves an absence within those communities.
But the work he created, the people he encouraged and the spaces he helped make more welcoming remain part of the legacy Charles Edward Payne leaves behind.
Disclaimer
This article is based on verified information from the memorial created by Charles Edward Payne’s family and friends and public tributes from organizations with which he was involved.
A specific cause of death has not been publicly disclosed.
Private medical details or claims concerning the circumstances of Charles’ death should not be treated as confirmed unless released by his family or another authorized source.