"Pain family, I am so sorry for your loss. I was a friend to his son Matt. I pray that the two of them are having a great reunion in heaven. "
Fred J. Pain, Jr., age 92, died peacefully at home surrounded by family on the Fourth of July, a date shared with US Presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Fred loved his family deeply. His wife and children were the center of his life. He treasured his close friends and he developed lasting friendships with his children's friends who became extended family, joining vacations, holidays, and dropping by to visit.
Fred first saw his wife, Carolyn, when she was on a date with one of his fraternity brothers. Over her date's protests, Fred asked for Carolyn's name and phone number, calling her five minutes after curfew that evening. Their first date was the following night and from then on, they were inseparable. They married in 1956 and had three children (Deborah, married to Mark Kimmel; John Gregory, married to Lisa Greene; and Matthew), and five grandchildren (Maureen Kimmel, Emily Kimmel Gaffney, Kolbe Pain, Libby Pain and Alex Pain). Fred's greatest sadness was the death of his youngest son, Matthew, in 1998.
After his family, Fred's lifelong passion was the law. Fred attended Indiana University for his undergraduate and law degrees. After graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy where he served as a Lieutenant and in the Judge Advocate General (J.A.G.) Corps. Following military service, he drove across the U.S., visiting several cities in the Southwest. After seeing one of its beautiful desert sunsets, he decided that he and Carolyn would live in Phoenix. For nearly 60 years, Fred was a trial attorney in Phoenix. He specialized in complex cases that often lasted for years. He was a powerful advocate for the underdog. Through his legal work, he changed many lives for the better. He continued to work on cases well into his eighties.
Beyond his family and the law, Fred loved baseball, piano music, Shakespeare, good literature, theatre and Cannon Beach, Oregon. He grew up in the 1930s listening to the New York Yankees play baseball on the radio. Before the old Yankee stadium was demolished, he took his daughter to one last game, sitting by third base and teaching her how to score the game. He was an Arizona Diamondbacks season ticket holder for years and was thrilled to watch them win the 2001 World Series in Game 7.
Fred enjoyed playing the piano and was largely self-taught. He studied music theory using the college textbook written by his father-in-law. One of his few rules required each of his children to take piano lessons for five years to learn an appreciation for music.
Fred's wife, Carolyn, was an actress/singer and he was her greatest fan. Through her, he enjoyed theatre, music and dance. He treasured his friendships at the Phoenix Theatre. He spent many evenings at the Phoenix Theatre, the Phoenix Symphony, the Arizona Ballet and Scottsdale Center for the Arts.
During a family vacation in the 1970s, Fred fell in love with the Oregon coast. He bought a small cottage by the beach, returning for summers and holidays with family and friends over the next four decades. He loved walking the long stretches of beach on chilly, misty days, feeling the gritty sand and icy saltwater wash over his feet. Fred will be buried in a casket made of Oregon pine.
A funeral Mass will be held for Fred on Thursday, July 29th at 10:00am at the Franciscan Renewal Center, 5802 East Lincoln Drive, Paradise Valley, Arizona 85253. Private interment will be at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to ALK Positive Lung Cancer (www.alkpositive.org ) or the Arizona Humane Society (www.azhumane.org ). Fred's daughter, Deborah, has ALK Positive lung cancer and his son, Matthew, was a lover of animals.
Please visit hansenmortuary.com for online condolences.
"Pain family, I am so sorry for your loss. I was a friend to his son Matt. I pray that the two of them are having a great reunion in heaven. "
"Lynda and Ken Tucker join in your grief with Fred's passing and in celebration of a gentleman who made life better for all of us."
"Dad, how will I adjust to life without your easy smile, your wise and loving voice and the feel of your hand holding mine? I miss you so much. Deborah "