Rachel Brown Payson

SOUTH PORTLAND – Rachel Brown Payson was born Sept. 12, 1966 to Michael Payson Sr. and Martha (Marby) Payson. With her fiery red hair and equally fiery determination, she held her own as the fourth among five children in an environment best described as controlled chaos.

Rachel’s early school years were spent in Chevy Chase, Md. Her father worked for the World Bank and spent most of his time on assignment in Africa. Her mother managed the mayhem in a neighborhood of large families and overactive children. Rachel’s summers were a calming reprieve; staying at her grandmother’s house in Falmouth where the ocean and natural beauty were a welcome source of quiet and peace throughout her life.

At the age of 4, her father contracted Guillain-Barre syndrome resulting in full paralysis, and he was hospitalized for two tumultuous years. He made a partial recovery and returned to Chevy Chase, but when Rachel was 9, her parents divorced and her mother moved the family permanently to Falmouth.

Rachel spent many of the ensuing years searching for a firm foundation and path forward. She graduated from Falmouth High School in 1985, traveled to Europe and Ethiopia to visit her dad, moved to Seattle, Wash. for a while and explored the West Coast, and worked with children in Mozambique. She made countless lifelong friends along the way.

In 1995, she met Hayes Porterfield while they were both working at the Whole Grocer in Portland. Initially she wasn’t sure what to make of him: a jazz drummer from Arkansas with a mild Southern drawl and, despite also having red hair, an even milder disposition. They fell in love, married in 1999, and Rachel’s life was transformed. She had found her soulmate. Together, they shared their love for the outdoors, music, travel, and the simple things in life. When she beat her first cancer diagnosis and had their second child, her foundation was complete.

Rachel was a mom first and foremost. She structured her work to be with her family. Her joys in life were cooking, reading, hiking, trail running, camping, and just sitting in the sun in the backyard with her family. One of her favorite places was the public library. She enjoyed participating in activities more than she enjoyed details and planning, and her family recounts the time she led them on a “short walk” that ended up 13 miles from their campsite. In the spring she loved forsythia and walks to pluck lilacs from neighborhood trees; in the summer swimming at her grandmother’s point at high tide was always on her mind, and every winter she would predict generous snowfall.

Rachel had an eye for style and design and could turn a trip to the thrift store into a study in fashion. Among siblings who preferred blue and gray, she was beautiful in brown, orange and green. She surprised her family with frequent furniture rearrangements, always trying to perfect the maximum efficiency of living in a small house. Her easy laugh belied her subtle humor and irony, although they were apparent in her frequent exclamations, responding to surprising news with a wide-eyed “WHAT?!” and recipe suggestions with “YUM!!”

When her cancer returned in 2020, and again in 2022, Rachel set out on a journey of introspection and discovery. With earnest wonder, she sought meaning in life’s mysteries and appreciation for her time on earth — even as giving up the activities she loved was painfully hard for her and her family. While the day-to-day became difficult, those who spent time with her couldn’t help but be inspired by her bravery, her big smile, and her gratitude for the beauty and the people in her life.

Rachel passed peacefully Thursday, March 12, 2026. She spent her final days at home surrounded by family, with the windows open to spring, her favorite season.

She is survived by her husband, Hayes Porterfield; her two children, Eileen Porterfield and Evan Porterfield; her mother, Marby Payson; her mother-in-law, Janis Porterfield; her stepmother, Barbara Payson; her siblings Margaretta “Getty” Payson and husband Bob Murray, Michael Payson Jr. and wife Susan Payson, Catharine “Katie” Payson and wife Celine Mainville, Sophie Payson-Rand and husband Pete Rand, her sister-in-law, Brooke Welden, her stepsister, Jennifer Piette; her nieces Sammie Murray, Abigail “Abby” Payson and Morgan Rand, and her nephews Maxwell Payson, Ben Payson and Kyle Rand.

A memorial service will be held Thursday, March 26, 1:30 p.m. at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Cape Elizabeth, with reception to follow.

Donations in Rachel’s memory may be made to Maine Coast Waldorf School, whose community meant so much to her family.

http://www.mainecoastwaldorf.org/support