Editor’s Note: Interested in free weekly updates from Northern Michigan? Sign up for the UP NORTH VOICE MAIL
Renee Kay (Payne) Earhart, 64, of Standish, Michigan, passed away at her home on June 7, 2026.
Renee was born to Bonnie and Carl Payne. She graduated from Au Gres High School in 1980 and went on to attend Great Lakes Junior College, where she earned an Associate degree in Business and Data Accounting. She spent her working years as an accountant for numerous area businesses and individuals.
Renee was known for her generous spirit and giving nature, living her life in service to others. She took pride in the simple things’ life had to offer—her flowers, her cats, and most importantly, her family. To know her was to know a fierce and unwavering love. She had a zest for life that colored everything she did, from the way she played cards to her wonderful sense of humor.
Renee was preceded in death by her parents, Bonnie and Carl Payne; her sister, Linda Broom; her brother, Randy Payne; and her son, Michael John Earhart II.
She is survived by her husband, Michael John Earhart; her children, Deb (Emily) Earhart, Sarena (Justin) Diebold, Corie (Ryan) McCord, and Raimee (Eric) Schertzberg; and her grandchildren, Emma, Maeve, Kendall, Cameron, Pyper, Marshall, Preston, Darien, Ryan, and Jax.
A celebration of life will be held for friends and family at her home, surrounded by the things she cherished most, on Friday, June 19th.
