Arizona's first African American mayor, former Chandler Mayor Coy Payne, has died

Former Chandler Mayor Coy Payne, the first African American mayor in Chandler and in Arizona, has died. He was 90.

Payne died on Sunday, according to a Facebook post from a family member announcing his death.

He served on the Chandler City Council from 1982 to 1990 and as mayor from 1990 to 1994.

A longtime Chandler resident and community activist, Payne helped create the city’s housing authority and oversaw the expansion of parks and recreation programs. 

He was known for his roles as a consensus-builder and facilitator and helped lead the city as it underwent unprecedented growth in population and businesses.

Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke described Payne as an integral part of the community, who served as a mentor to many during his decades of public service and inspired future leaders and politicians. 

"As the first African American mayor in Chandler and in the state of Arizona, Coy laid the foundation for future mayors to lead with an innovative spirit," Hartke said. "Mayor Payne was well-loved and he will be forever remembered as an integral and inspiring part of our city's history."

A visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 20 at Bueler Mortuary, 14 W. Hulet Drive in Chandler. Services are scheduled for 10 a.m. Dec. 23 at Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave.

From sharecropper’s son to mayor

Payne was born in Sulphur Springs, Texas, on May 22, 1929, to parents who were cotton sharecroppers.

The family moved to Eloy in the early 1940s, where they worked in the fields for three months to raise money to buy a car, before relocating to Chandler, Payne said during a 2007 interview with a historian with the Chicago-based nonprofit organization the HistoryMakers, which preserves the stories of African Americans through oral histories.

Payne attended segregated elementary and middle schools in Mesa and Chandler.

The only high school he could attend was the all-black George Washington Carver High School in downtown Phoenix, an hour bus ride and a 30-minute walk away. Chandler High School integrated in 1949, shortly after Payne graduated.

Payne attended Arizona State University but dropped out in 1949. “It was a shock. … I felt out of place, I felt my world had come to an end,” he said in a 2005 interview with a city historian.

He was drafted by the U.S. Army and served in the Korean War.

After returning home, he met and married Willie Woods, a community activist and certified accountant. 

He returned to ASU and finished his degree in education in 1958 and returned to teach at the school district that so many years earlier rejected him because of his race.

He started his career teaching third grade and worked as a teacher and administrator in the Chandler Unified School District for more than 30 years, retiring as assistant principal of Chandler Junior High in 1989.

Payne Junior High in Chandler is named after Payne and his wife, a former teacher at CUSD.

During this time he also was active in community groups and at City Hall, joining the Chandler Human Relations Committee and working to improve race relations in the city.

'I can go as far as I’m willing to take the step to do'

In 1980, Payne won a seat on the Chandler City Council, launching a more than 10-year political career.

In his opinion, race was not a factor in his election.

“We were just people. I forgot my color, I forgot my ethnicity, I was really able to put that aside and act on the premise that I’m a human being and by the grace of God I can go as far as I’m willing to take the step to do,” he said in the 2005 interview. “That’s the ultimate in a person’s life, if they can lay aside personal differences and then come together to work the problems that may exist.” 

Former Chandler Mayor Jay Tibshraeny called Payne a mentor.

Tibshraeny served with Payne from 1986 to 1994, serving as his vice mayor the last four years.

He described Payne as gentle, genuine and patient and said he learned a great deal about how to interact with constituents and efficiently run council meetings by observing Payne on the dais. 

When Tibshraeny decided to run for mayor, Payne encouraged him, saying it would be a good fit for the Chandler native, Tibshraeny said.

“I really took note of how he worked with people and that had a big impact on me,” he said. “He didn’t know he was mentoring me, but he was, and all that served me for my years on the council and continues to serve well in my capacity as an elected official.”

Payne's legacy lives on

Payne's success has been an inspiration to others in the Chandler area.

The Chandler Men of Action, an all-male African American organization that mentors and provides positive role models for youth, particularly African Americans, annually honors Payne at a banquet where an award named in his honor is given to outstanding men in the community.

Stephen Carson, a member of the group, said it was organized with Payne's vision to help the African American community in its "quest for equality, truth and opportunities to make Chandler one of the best cities" in mind.

He said Payne's knowledge about his history, black history and Chandler's history was a priceless asset for the community, and despite reaching the pinnacle of local politics his humble beginnings kept him grounded. 

Victor Hardy, president of the organization and a pastor at Congregational Church of the Valley, said he was going through a tough time when he met Payne. Their conversations gave him hope, he said.

“Talking to him made me feel like I could do anything in this city,” he said.

He said Payne paved the way for him and others to have a place in the community because of the bridges he built while on the council.

Payne’s death is a loss for the entire community, he said.

“Coy Payne was an inspiration to everybody that he met. He was kind, he was warm, he was humble,” he said. “We will be forever grateful just to be around him.”

Reach reporter Paulina Pineda at paulina.pineda@azcentral.com or 602-444-8130. Follow her on Twitter: @paulinapineda22.

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