“And she made those around her want to be the same. She was proud of excellence… hers, yours and anyone else’s,” Martin wrote. “She was not fair-weather or lukewarm about anything. Tyra Martin, a senior segment producer at WGN, described Payne as “hilarious, sometimes on purpose and sometimes by accident. Other tributes flooding social media shared Skilling’s sentiment. “She was a kind human being, so sweet,” he said.

“She was so instrumental in my career.” Skilling, who worked alongside Payne during her 21 years at the station, said Payne was a delight. “She loved fearlessly, she mentored not just me but countless interns,” Baftiri said. Payne also started a foundation for students looking to enter journalism. The daughter of an educator, Payne loved sharing her wealth of knowledge so much so that she looked into becoming a journalism professor at a community college in Detroit after she left Chicago. She routinely would review scripts and offer feedback in a way “no other anchor did,” Baftiri said. Her door was always open to aspiring, young journalists, who looked to her for advice. Payne played an influential part in many Chicago reporters and producers’ careers. “She just wanted to show her gratitude, not just by words but by gifts as well,” Baftiri said. She also said Payne paid for a makeup artist to beautify Baftiri on her wedding day and baby shower. Vicky Baftiri, one of Payne’s longtime producers, said she still has some of the Tory Burch purses, wallets, and jewelry Payne gave her.

Payne also would routinely buy gifts for her colleagues. Allison once footed the bill for her producer to join her in Washington, D.C., for a story when the station declined to fund her trip. Payne was known for being generous with her time and resources. Her stories took her all around the world. Payne became a reporting powerhouse for WGN, covering everything from politics to sports. My parents moved my bedtime to 9:30p so that I could watch the nightly news with & Steve Sanders.

For 21 years she was theee face of for me, a little black girl living in Bolingbrook, IL. I am heartbroken over the death of Allison Payne.

Wgn news anchor dies