*Doug Payne (right), along with his parents Thomas and Shirley, on one of their weekend sightseeing trips.*

This past May, the Southwest Montana community lost a true champion of open spaces. Doug Payne passed away at the age of 68 after a courageous 10-year battle with multiple myeloma cancer. A multi-generational Montanan and Park County High School graduate (’76), Doug leaves behind a profound legacy that will protect the landscapes he loved for generations to come.

A Deep Connection to the Land

Doug’s roots in our region ran deep. His parents, Thomas and Shirley, both grew up in Bozeman, where they met in high school. After marrying, they later made their home in Livingston for nearly 70 years. Together, they raised three children—Tom Jr., Doug, and Peggy—and instilled in them a lifelong love for the outdoors through activities including camping, fishing, and floating the Yellowstone, Madison, and Jefferson rivers.

Doug stayed close to home and attended Montana State University, where he earned both a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a master’s degree in structural engineering. While his engineering career took him to Seattle for 20 years, he always regarded Montana as home. He eventually returned to continue his engineering career in Helena.

Once back in Montana and closer to family, Doug drove to Livingston every other weekend to visit his parents. They spent many of those weekends exploring ghost towns and driving through the Paradise and Shields Valleys, sightseeing and looking for wildlife—one of Shirley’s favorite things to do.

“My mom absolutely loved seeing the wildlife,” explains Doug’s sister Peggy. “Her favorite was moose, which are magnificent, and we saw them up Shields Valley often. And it was always fun to see the elk in people’s yards in Gardiner.”

Turning Concern into Action

When Doug eventually returned to Montana permanently—working for Morrison-Maierle and later the Montana Department of Transportation—he was troubled by the rapid changes and development stretching across Gallatin and Park counties. Driven by a desire to protect these treasured landscapes and honor his family, Doug decided to take action.

Before his passing, Doug decided to leave the entirety of his estate to GVLT to establish the Thomas & Shirley Payne Land Protection Endowment at GVLT. This significant and foundational planned gift beautifully intertwines his own legacy with that of his parents, ensuring their collective devotion to Montana’s open spaces endures forever.

"This planned gift gave Doug a great sense of meaning and purpose while he was alive," shares his sister, Peggy. "It’s very physical and real and visual."

Doug embraced life fully under Montana’s Big Sky, holding a particularly deep love for Paradise Valley. Through this endowment, his commitment to preserving and protecting these wild places is permanently secured. We are profoundly grateful to Doug and the entire Payne family for their vision and generosity.

The Power of Planned Giving

Planned gifts like Doug's have a transformational, lasting impact on our region’s agricultural, wildlife-rich, and scenic open lands. And, right now, each new documented letter of intention unlocks an immediate $2,500 gift, thanks to a generous donor.

To learn more about how you can make an immediate impact and leave a legacy beyond your lifetime for the future of Southwest Montana, please email GVLT Director of Development Justin Barth.