SBU board trustee dies

Larry Payton, a member of the Southwest Baptist University Board of Trustees, died Feb. 18 in Tulsa, Okla. He was 64.

Payton, a 1970 graduate of SBU with a degree in physical education, had a year remaining on his second of two five-year terms on the board. He also served on the board's finance committee, according to a news release.

"SBU has lost a great supporter, and I have lost a great friend," SBU President C. Pat Taylor said in the release. “Larry always knew the business and activities of our university. He and I talked quite often on the phone about what was happening here.”

Payton and his wife, Kay, founded Tulsa-based Celebrity Attractions in 1983. The company presents theatrical, musical and family entertainment, and handles marketing and group sales for touring events, in seven regional markets, including Springfield, according to CelebrityAttractions.com.

Two of Celebrity Attractions' upcoming Springfield shows at Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts are "100 Years of Broadway" in March and "The Addams Family" in April.

According to the Feb. 19 SBU news release, funeral arrangements are pending.