Donald Payne, U.S. Congressman from New Jersey, dies of cancer

United States. Representative Donald Payne died of cancer on Tuesday at St. Barnabas Hospital in Livingston, N.J. He was 77. It was not the calls of boost from United States President that cheered up him. It was when a Washington infirmary consistently greeted the NJ congressman as the only U.S. official to visit his small town in the African country of Eritrea.

Hearing from the regulated however much the visit had meant, and aware he had made a difference in the lives of people troubled against violence and poorness – from his native Newark, N.J., to sub-Saharan Africa – was the reason why Donald Payne had committed his life to community service, his brother William said Tuesday.

“He walked with kings, but never lost the common touch,” William Payne said.

Born and aroused in Newark, Payne came on through the ranks of Essex County politics. He gained a bachelor’s degree from Seton Hall University in 1957 and taught in Newark schools for 15 years. He went on to become an insurance executive and member of the Newark City Council from 1982 until 1988.

The 12-term member of the House had declared in February that he was going through treatment for colon cancer and would carry on representing his district.  He was first elected in 1988 later on twice missing to former Rep. Peter Rodino, who adjourned after 40 years in Congress.

In Washington, he was remembered for his work as a protector of human rights, both at home and abroad.

President Barack Obama, who ordered flags lowered in Payne’s honor, called him a “leader in US-Africa policy, making enormous contributions towards helping restore democracy and human rights across the continent.”

Payne was a member of House citizens committee on Education Department and foreign affairs. He functioned as chairperson of the House subcommittee on Africa, and had journeyed a lot times to the continent on foreign affairs matters. He was recalled Tuesday as among the first U.S. Functionaries to address out on the situation in Darfur and South Soudan. He visited more than 80 countries as a appendage of the YMCA’s international control board earlier becoming a representative, But Payne always continued as firmly rooted in local government and community concerns as he was in arousing awareness on issues from girded contravene to the AIDS epidemic in Africa, his brother said.

Payne was a widower with three children and four grandchildren. His son, Donald Payne Jr., is a Newark city councilman.