It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Kayla Payne; Born April 21, 2009, who left us too soon on March 11, 2025. She brought boundless joy and kindness to everyone who had the privilege of knowing her.

Kayla is survived by her mother, Kristen Payne; her sisters, Kelsey and Drew Lowrance; and her grandparents Mary Louise Payne, Mary Alfaro, and Bern Zogleman. She was predeceased by her beloved grandfather, Dwight Holmes, and her cat Rudy who she deeply missed. She will forever be loved by her Aunties Jillian Schwarze, Jennifer Dickinson, Sarah Bowers, and "the best boyfriend ever", Ethan Fonseca.

A Celebration of Life for Kayla will be held on April 21, 2025, 5:30pm, at the Patriot’s Chapel, Forest Lawn Cypress, CA. All are welcome.

In Kayla's life, she was an active and dedicated member of her community. She attended the Young Life Youth Group, was a volunteer with the City of Lakewood and Los Altos Youth Baseball & Softball of Long Beach, where she also played for 5 years. Kayla actively participated in LAYBS, Long Beach Heartwell Fastpitch, Mayfair High School Softball, and Mayfair High School Girls Golf. She used her talent as a performer in the Mayfair High School Theatre Group (2025), was a student at Orange County School of the Arts (2021-2023) and was a participant at UCLA Jr. Spirit Squad (2014-2016). Some of her most notable accomplishments included her perseverance in Taekwondo, making her high school softball team, lettering in Varsity Golf and starring in her high school musical 'Mean Girls'.

Kayla had many loves... Her passions extended to her love for food; especially mom's spaghetti. She loved sushi, chicken nuggets, junk food, and drinks like Diet Coke, Kombucha, and Coffee. She found escape in Romantic, Mystery, and Sci-Fi books, relishing in the melodies of Gracie Abrams, Billie Eilish, and alternative rock. Her love for visual media included an affinity for horror films, romantic comedies, the Harry Potter series and The Rock films. An expressive artist, she often amazed her mom with her line drawings and portraits.

She was a devout fan of Buffalo Bills football (Go Bills!) and spent lots of time watching football with her mom. Also to her mother's delight, Kayla had an early appreciation for theatre and musicals, often seen reveling in performances of Dear Evan Hanson, Wicked, Hadestown, Funny Girl, Hamilton, Cinderella, and Into the Woods... to name a few. Kayla’s recreational activities of choice were softball, golf, theater, books, drawing and spending time with friends. She loved working out in the gym and looked forward to traveling . Her mom looked forward to showing her the world... Top of her list was visiting Virginia for the snow and Hawaii for the ocean and sharks. Starbucks, 7-11, bookstores, and movie theaters were some of her favorite local spots.

Kayla cared deeply about animals, helping people, normalizing mental health care, and epilepsy research. She loved crafting and making friendship bracelets. All who knew Kayla would describe her as a friend to everyone - beautiful inside and out, a beacon of light, grace, silliness and love. The lessons she left behind are invaluable - Kayla taught us that kindness is everything. She was brave and loved out loud, accepting everyone for who they are. 

 In lieu of flowers, funds are being raised for funeral expenses. Additional donations will be used, in Kayla's name, to support the teens and organizations that she was involved with. 

Kayla's legacy is one of determination, cheerfulness and a brave expression of love. The impact she made will forever inspire us to love boldly and kindly, just as she did. Her name embodied her spirit - Grace. She will be deeply missed. Please keep her memory alive by saying her name and paying the love forward.

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