Sanford Bishop: “All the world is a stage, and all the men and women merely players. Each has his entrance and his exit. One man in this…”

“All the world is a stage, and all the men and women merely players. Each has his entrance and his exit. One man in this time may play many parts. So it is with Donald Payne. He was a son, a brother, a husband, a father, a grandfather, a great grandfather, a teacher, a coach, a mentor, a leader. He led the CBC. He led the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, and he was a friend. He was an extraordinary legislator. He represented the people of Newark, New Jersey, very well. But one thing that I learned about Donald from personal conversations was that he was truly a family man, that he loved his family. He spoke with love about the sacrifices that he made upon the untimely death of his wife, about how he had young children. He determined that he was going to take care of those children himself, not farm them out to other family members. So he sacrificed--he did the PTAs; he did the hair; he did all of the things so that his children would have a good life. It seems that Donald's early life was difficult, and he was determined that his children would not have the difficulties that he had. Donald was a great man. We have lost him. The family has lost a great man. We feel your pain; but the joy we share because we knew him will sustain us because we were blessed to know, love, be a part, and to share the life, as you did, with this great, great man. He was a friend. We will miss him as you will. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.”