STATEMENT OF NICHOLAS AND VIRGINIA PAYNE The parents of Rebecca Payne, the Northeastern University student found slain on Tuesday, today shared their thoughts about their daughter.
Rebecca was a senior at Northeastern’s Bouvé College of Health Sciences, studying to become an athletic trainer, and a much-loved student leader.
Her parents, Nicholas and Virginia Payne of New Milford, Conn., have taken some comfort in the outpouring of condolence and support from the university community. They stayed focused on their fondest memories of Rebecca.
“We would like to remember Rebecca as someone always smiling, never worrying about things not worth worrying about,” they said.
Recalling their daughter’s active life, the Paynes said, “She loved camp and attended many summers at Camp Washington, first as a camper and then as a much-loved counselor.
“At high school she edited the yearbook as well as excelling in sports that she loved — field hockey, tennis and track — which led her to study athletic training at Northeastern (while still remaining a staunch Yankees fan).”
True to her British roots, they noted, Rebecca also shared her fan loyalty with a British football team.
“On her bedroom wall still hangs the poster for the Liverpool Football Club, with its anthem, ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone.’”