See You Later
Donna Shamaine Hobson Payne was born in Gary, Indiana, on January 26, 1970, to Robert Lee Hobson Sr. and Linda Hobson Williams.
Donna graduated from West Side High School in 1989 and loved that she and her classmates stayed in touch and continued getting together every year, even decades later. Those lifelong friendships meant the world to her.
After graduation, Donna went to work at her paternal family’s store, East Side Food Mart, affectionately known as Hobson Grocery. From there, Donna went on to her dream job with the Indiana Department of Correction, a career she truly loved. She took great pride in her work and served with professionalism, integrity, and compassion throughout her career. There Donna met the love of her life, George Payne Jr. They met in 1997 and were married on June 2, 2000. Together they raised five children: Keri Payne, George Payne III, Garrett Payne, Thomas Hobson, and Ukari Payne.
Donna and George later started their own home inspection business so they could spend more time raising their children and be present for sporting events, school activities, and every milestone along the way.
Donna loved her family and friends with her whole heart. She loved to laugh, joke, and enjoy life. She had a way of lighting up every room she walked into with her smile, her laughter, and her positive spirit. If you knew Donna, you knew you could count on her. Whatever her family or friends needed, Donna was always there to help. She gave freely of herself without ever expecting anything in return. Her love, kindness, and generosity touched countless lives and will never be forgotten.
Donna departed this life on July 13, 2026, after a courageous battle with brain cancer, surrounded by the people who loved her most.
Donna was preceded in death by the first man she ever loved, her father, Robert Lee Hobson Sr.; her little brother, Rodney Lee Hobson (Yendor); her paternal grandparents, Lois and Lenora Hobson; her maternal grandparents, Joseph and Beula Prude; Aunt Dorothy Browder; paternal uncles Floyd Hobson, Vernon Hobson, Clarence Hobson, and Dewrell Hobson Sr.; maternal uncles Charles Prude, Robert (Bobbie) Prude, Sylvester Prude, and Joe Willie Prude; aunts Carol Lucas and Norma Smith; and a special brother-in-law, Jimmy White.
She leaves to cherish her memory her loving husband, George Payne Jr., of La Porte, Indiana; her children, Keri Payne (Patrick), George Payne III (Jodi), Garrett Payne (Katarina), Thomas Hobson, and Ukari Payne (Logan); her cherished grandchildren, Elaina Payne, Ean “Gunner” Payne, and Greyson “Ace” Hofferth. Her mother, Linda Hobson Williams, of Michigan City, Indiana; her father-in-law and mother-in-law, George Payne Sr. and Nancy Payne, of Michigan City, Indiana; her brother, Robert Lee (Shay) Hobson Jr. of Chicago, IL. her sisters, Karen Hobson of Michigan City, Indiana, and Sharron (Larry) Ellis of White Hall, Arkansas; her sisters-in-law, Sandy White and Sheila Ryba, both of Michigan City, Indiana. She is also survived by her living aunts, Minnie Perry (Bill), Jean Wilson, and Shirley Holiday; her living uncle, Rufus Sease Sr.; her very special cousins, Sedrick Prude and La’Flore (Doevon) Ivy; and her lifelong friends, Belinda Alfaro, Patricia Washington, Inita Harris, Nyeedra Edwards, Charlotte Flowers, Davita Andrews, and Brenda Ellis.
Donna’s love, strength, laughter, and unwavering devotion to her family will continue to live on in the hearts of everyone who knew and loved her. Though she is no longer with us in person, her legacy will be carried forward through the lives she touched and the family she loved so deeply.
See you later, Donna. We love you forever.
A celebration of life will be held at 12 p.m., Monday, July 20, 2026, at Lakeview Funeral Home and Crematory, 247 W. Johnson Rd., La Porte, (219) 362-3100. There will be a visitation and viewing from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, July 19, 2026, and Monday, July 20, 2026, from 10 a.m. until service time. There will be a graveside following the service on Monday at Swan Lake Memorial Gardens, 5700 US-20, Michigan City, IN 46360.
Please send condolences to the family at www.LakeviewFHC.com.
