Ilse Payne, proud of German heritage
Ilse Payne (née Porombka), 92, closed her eyes forever Thursday, March 5, 2026. She remains in the hearts of her beloved husband of 68 years, William Bogart Payne; daughter, Karen Payne (husband Mike) of New Hampshire; son, Eric Payne (wife Marie) of Virginia; granddaughter, Sophia Payne of Virginia; cousin, Hanne Auffenberg of Düsseldorf; and her nine cherished nieces and nephews.
Born in Cologne, Ilse's love of Germany remained a special part of her. The spirit of her parents, Reinhold Porombka (teacher and principal) and Charlotte (nee Grüss), and sister Evelotte Rafferty (whom she followed to America), was always close by – inspiring her interest in nature, theater, music (especially classical), art, and a well-written book.
After completing a two-year course in business school, Ilse saved every possible Deutsche-Mark from her first job as a German-English-French translator at Leybold Manufacturing to buy her passage on the MS Berlin to visit her sister (a war-bride) in America, where she was introduced to the American way of life and, on a blind date, her future husband.
Ilse loved being a work-from-home mom and hearing the stories of her children when they came home each day. In the 1960s, she worked from home as a translator in the chemical industry for companies including PPG and US Steel (mostly technical in nature, like patents and manuals). Proofreading and wordsmithing were second nature (beware writers of restaurant menus, event publications, and newsletters). Later, she would often take the bus to downtown Pittsburgh, where she taught German at Inlingua Language School to American businessmen.
Ilse made lasting friendships from her involvement in multiple sclerosis support groups, German clubs, and paperweight clubs from Pennsylvania to Texas to their retirement dream home in Lewes, looking out on – appropriately – Love Creek. Family and friends will continue her tradition of sitting down for coffee, connecting, caring, and confectionery each day at 2 p.m.
Ilse had stood up to MS since her 50s, when her "normal world caved in for a while." Deciding that MS would not erase her smile and that her full life was still worthwhile, she was notably gracious in her acceptance of her gradually increasing vulnerability. She was the inspiration for her husband's outstanding advocacy for accessibility in Delaware.
In 1945, 12-year-old Ilse and her mother were among the flood of WWII refugees, fleeing the war zone in Silesia, leaving their homes, possessions and two family members who had been forced into service behind. First on trains that were bombed, and then walking and walking, and walking to get to the American zone, for the Americans were known to be kind and humane. Blessedly, the family was reunited at an aunt's home after the war. With these memories, her heart ached with the pain of current world affairs. If your heart aches too, or if your heart has been touched by Ilse's life and her ever-present gratitude, donations in her name can be made to a charity that is feeding the children.
Interment at the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery will be held in private.
Visit Ilse's Life Memorial webpage at parsellfuneralhomes.com.
