Ruth Zulene Payne, 89 1/2, passed away Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012, at her home in Laguna Niguel, Calif., with her two children, Janice and Greg, by her side. Zulene was the wife of James Guy Payne, who passed away in l986. Zulene and "JG" lived on a farm southwest of Macedonia from the time of their marriage in l940 until 1981, when they moved to Southern California, and divided their time between Southern Illinois and Southern California. During their time on the farm, the Paynes were popular hosts to high school friends of their Janice and Greg, who loved the horses, animals, hunting and Zulene's incredible dishes and desserts. Zulene was the daughter of Hale and Verda (Fulford) York of McLeansboro, and has four surviving brothers, Louis, who lives in Destin, Fla., George and Roger, who reside in Eureka, Mo., and Charles, who lives in Nashville. She also is survived by a sister-in-law, Jean Smith of Benton; and brother-in-law, Ernie Payne, of Thompsonville. Sister-in-law, Lucille Smith, of Henderson, Ky., and Percy Payne of Thompsonville preceded her in death. After raising her family, Zulene, returned to college, graduating from Rend Lake College and SIU Carbondale, majoring in elementary education. She also earned a Master of Arts degree in special education from SIU and taught fourth grade at Thompsonville Grade School. Zulene was a passionate advocate for political engagement and was active in her earlier career in the Republican Party and in her later years as a devout Democrat, who enjoyed spirited dialogues with friends and family on issues of the day. She also enjoyed friendships, lunches, dinners and visits with some of America's most prominent politicians, including Senator Edward Kennedy, Senator Robert Dole, Governor Michael Dukakis, Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley and President Bill Clinton, as well as Saudi Prince Faisal Al Saud, entertainer, Jay Leno, and journalist, Leslie Stahl, among others. In California, Zulene was an advocate for special education, and on her 65th birthday, was entertained by Grammy Award Winner Jose Feliciano at a special celebration with friends in California. She had a monthly cooking column "Cuisine by Zulene" in which she shared her love of cooking in a national health magazine, "Vitality," in the 1990's; in which she shared her love of cooking. She also was a founding member of the Friends of the Emerson Majestic Theatre in Boston, an advocacy group dedicated to the renovation of the century old thea-tre in downtown Boston. Zulene visited with family and friends in Southern Illinois last year, accompanied by her children, Janice, executive director of Los Angeles Program, which provides internships for college students in the U.S. and abroad; her son, Gregory, professor at Emerson College in Boston; and a devoted caregiver, Grezelda. Honoring her request, Zulene's body was donated to University of California at Irvine for research in helping others live long productive lives. UCI is a global leader in the study of dementia. There will be a celebrations of Zulene's life later for her friends in Southern California, Mexico, Illinois and Boston this spring. In lieu of flowers, Janice and Greg request those interested to make donations to Zulene Payne Political Communication Award housed at Emerson College in Boston for creative students who epitomize her life-long belief that one person working at the local level can make a difference. Contributions can be sent to Zulene Payne Political Communication Award, 31094 Montesa Laguna Niguel, CA 92677. To view the video "Zulene: Lady in Red," visit http://www.youtube.com/watch/v=nWfVnSus-sg. Published in The Southern Illinoisan on January 15, 2012