Lariayn Yvette Payne ’90

Lariayn died March 5, 2024, in Los Angeles at age 55.

At Princeton, she majored in architecture and was a member of Cap and Gown, the women’s rugby team, and enjoyed a brief stint on the women’s novice rowing team.

After Princeton, Lariayn moved to New York City, where she started her career at Saatchi & Saatchi. She lived with three classmates: Sarah Gutstein (Rome), Christy Carillo, and JoJo Rein. She moved to California in 1993 to attend business school at Stanford University and never returned to the East Coast. For the next 29 years, Lariayn held marketing positions of increasing responsibility at companies ranging from Disney to Teleflora to the Spring Education Group. At the time of her death, she was chief marketing officer at Zephyr, a technology-based home services startup.

Lariayn was predeceased by her father, Theodore E. Payne, in January 2024. Her mother, Ethel Edmonds Payne, died in 2019. Lariayn was a bright light of kindness, beloved by all who had the privilege of knowing her. She leaves behind a long-standing web of Princeton friends who miss her warmth and generosity of spirit every day.