Duncan MacRae Payne, 80, of Charlottesville, Virginia, passed away surrounded by his family on August 15, 2021. 

Born on March 14, 1941 in Rochester, New York, he was son to the late Charles Fairfax Payne and Marcia Lane Payne. Duncan inherited his parents’ love of travel, heading off to Europe after graduating from Lehigh University with a Bachelor’s in International Relations. In Europe he became a serial academic, continuing his studies at Goethe Institut, Institut D'études Européennes in Geneva, and INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France, earning himself a Master in European Studies and a Master in Business Administration. Of course he engaged in more than just his studies in Europe, making friends, traveling, appreciating the cuisine, and meeting his wife, France Andrée Payne in Geneva. They married June 17, 1969 in Vence, France and then headed to Paris, where Duncan was hired by Kimberly-Clark Europe to establish their first computer center. After three years in Paris and one in Rouen, they returned to Paris where they lived in Les Halles near antique map and book dealers, which ignited his interest in early European maps and would become a serious passion later in life.

Duncan and France then headed to the United States where he decided his academic career wasn’t quite complete without a Master in Business Administration at Stanford University. After graduation, he joined the marketing team at Avery Label (now Avery-Dennison), but left to participate in the buy-out of a small start-up called Humco in Oklahoma. As CEO, he renamed the business Optronics, Inc. and relocated to Tulsa. Over the years, he grew the start-up from infancy to becoming a major player in the automotive lighting OEM and aftermarkets. His job required extensive travel in Europe and Asia, which often led to acquisitions of souvenirs he would bring home to his family and antique maps for himself. As he once reminisced, “I fondly remember a British ex-pat in Stanley, Hong Kong whose maps were clipped to strings from wall-to-wall in his shop/home.” Collecting maps remained a hobby until he retired from Optronics after 37 years, at which point he turned his collection into a small business, Antique Maps and Atlases LLC. Although his map business had only a small website and no storefront, it consumed much of his time during his retirement and he was often found in his “map room” in the basement, buying and (occasionally) selling maps and atlases. Maps were the perfect combination of his passions for travel and history and he loved to show his maps and talk about maps to anyone with an interest.

Of course maps weren’t his only interest, and he continued to travel around the world throughout his retirement with his family. He loved to learn about new cultures, taste new cuisine, and practice his knowledge of foreign languages. He was fluent in French and German, and he seemed to know a few words in just about every language. He was always eager to practice his linguistic skills with any foreigner he met, whether it was while traveling, doing business, or just at his local Thai restaurant. In his earlier days, Duncan was an avid skier and golfer, hitting the slopes in Colorado every Spring Break and golf courses around the United States. At home he could often be found building puzzles or playing Gin Rummy, Hand and Foot, Battleship, or any number of card or board games with his family. 

Duncan loved spending time with his family, and he is survived by his wife, France, who cared for him throughout his battles with liver disease, cancer and lung disease. He is also survived by his children: Eliane Lucette Dotson and Jonathan in Richmond, VA, and Bryan Macrae Payne in Tulsa, OK; and his grandchildren: Remi and Callum Dotson, and Soleil Payne. Also surviving is his brother, Robert Ridley Payne in Hendersonville, NC. Sadly he is predeceased by his daughter, Cecelia Fairfax Payne and his sister, Marcia Payne Grant.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank or the United Way Thomas Jefferson Area.