Helga Dähling was born in Germany in 1927, married Philip Payne in 1961, bore her first son, Andros, on the Mediterranean island of Ibiza, 1962, and her second, Alexander, in Florida, 1964, having sailed across the Atlantic Ocean with her husband and son in their sailboat. She passed away October 13th after a 3-year struggle with cancer.

Helga was born and grew up in Rügenwalde, a small town on the Baltic north coast of Germany. Fifth in a family of seven-children, she led a sheltered life with many carefree days at the beach with friends. This life was however shattered by the events of WWII. Her family was made penniless refugees overnight as the Russian army overtook Prussia. Along with other daughters, she was put on a midnight ship to flee the coming Russians. Traversing storm and hostile submarines, she made it to West Germany. Many did not.

She and her sisters eked a meagre existence doing farm work, separated from mother, father, and brothers, who, still for years, were under Russian rule in camps and prisons. Eventually freed, they also trekked west where the family was finally re-united.

Helga spent four years thereafter as an au pair in London to learn English and satisfy her interest in travel and other cultures. Returning to Germany, she worked as an executive secretary in the new German capital of Bonn at the Economics Ministry of Dr. Ehrhard, who later became Chancellor.

In 1961 she met her husband of 45 years, Philip Payne in the famous Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. They were married in Scotland. She and her husband set off on the couple's yacht for a two-year tour through Europe, the Mediterranean, across the Atlantic and in the Caribbean. In 1963 the couple sailed north from Martinique to the United States and lived aboard their yacht in Florida. After a time, she and Philip sold their sailing home. Helga moved with the family first to Sacramento, California, and then to Lompoc because of her husband's assignment at Vandenberg AFB.

After many years of international travel, Lompoc, and in particular Miguelito Canyon, became "home" to Helga. It was here that she fulfilled her proud wish to become an American Citizen in 1970. And it is where she brought up her two sons, and three daughters from Philip's former marriage, Cynthia, Emily, and Melissa. Helga enjoyed vegetable and flower gardening on the many sunny days in the canyon. She also started and ran Lompoc's first scuba diving shop with her husband. Helga was active in local affairs, with Community Concert, helping elderly people, supporting the schools and for political causes.

She returned to Florida in 1977 once again when her husband was transferred back to Cape Canaveral. However, the pull of her home in Lompoc was very strong. She and her husband returned to Miguelito Canyon upon his retirement in 1985, where she lived until her death. Helga graced her husband's existence with her wisdom, industry, and affection, making wherever they lived, on the sailing yacht or each of their six houses, a home.

She is survived by her husband, Philip Payne, of Lompoc; sons and their wives, Andros and Barbara Payne of Zurich, Switzerland, and Alex and Helene Payne of Ben Lomond, California; daughters and their husbands, Emily and Timothy Carsola of King George, Virginia, Cynthia and Wayland Moore of Charlottesville, Virginia, and Melissa and Lewis Pierce of Chico, California. She is also survived by her sisters, Ursula Kruse of Bonn, Germany, and Christa Pluentsch of Neumunster, Germany; and her brother, Karl Daehling and his wife Margrit of Neumunster, Germany, 10 grandchildren, and one great grandson.

Helga was a great wife, mother, and mentor. She had a strong and enduring influence on the people around her through her calm example of selfless generosity and strong ethics.

A funeral service will be held for Helga on October 19th at eleven o'clock in the Starbuck-Lind Mortuary at 123 North A Street, Lompoc.