A Service of Reflection celebrating the life of John Daniel (Dan) Bain III will be held at the Thomasville First United Methodist Church at 2:00 PM on Friday, February 21, 2020. Officiating will be Reverend James C. Sapp, senior minister and Dr. Jimmy Clanton. Interment will follow the service at Laurel Hill Cemetery. Mr. Bain died peacefully at Archbold Memorial Hospital at the age of 79 in the evening of Monday, February 17, 2020.
A native of Wilson County, North Carolina, he was born September 27, 1940, the son of John Daniel Bain Jr. and Mavis Ferrell Bain. He attended the Lucama public schools, graduating in 1968. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree from Atlantic Christian College in 1962. In September of that year, Mr. Bain moved to Thomasville to begin his teaching career at Thomasville High school where he taught business courses for three years. While there, he met Sally Vaughan whom he married on May 29, 1964. During the last year at THS, he began teaching evening courses at the Thomas Area Technical School, where his career spanned the next ten years. Concurrently, Mr. Bain commuted to Athens, Georgia, earning dual Masters Degrees in both Education and Data Processing from the University of Georgia in 1971. He was a member of Delta Pi Epsilon honorary business fraternity. As a graduate of the university, he remained a rabid UGA Bulldog fan until his death! Mr. Bain left teaching in 1975 when he became controller of Neel’s Department Store, the iconic shopping mecca for the region. Eventually he assumed the responsibility of President, CEO and finally owner of the Broad Street institution. Retail was not Mr. Bain’s sole business passion. Sometime later, he expanded his business interest to include Bain’s Auto Service Center, a full service gasoline station with automobile repair facilities. After Neel’s closed, Mr. Bain became the face of the corner of Crawford and Remington until failing health required the close of the business in 2016. Moving south from North Carolina, Mr. Bain grew to love Thomasville as his adopted home and worked for decades for the prosperity and advancement of the community. He immersed himself in many aspects of community - religious, service, commercial and political. In his various roles with Neel’s, Mr. Bain became a leader in the efforts to preserve the downtown business district during the late 1990s and the early 2000s. He was active in the Retail Merchant’s Association, and was president of Downtown Thomasville, Inc. He was a member and was elected to several terms as Chairman of the Downtown Development Authority. He served on the Board of the Thomasville/Thomas County Chamber of Commerce from 1990-1993. In service to this community, Mr. Bain was a member of the Thomasville Jaycees and was awarded the 1969-70 “Jaycees Man of the Year. As a member of the THS Touchdown Club, he was recognized for Outstanding Service in 1981. A long-time member of the Rotary Club of Thomasville, Mr. Bain served as the 1986-87 president and was named as a Will Watt Fellow and a Paul Harris Fellow. He was active with the Thomasville Music & Drama Troupe, serving as president from 1983 through 1987. He was elected to three four-year terms of the Thomasville City Board of Education and served as Chairman in 1987. Mr. Bain was a long-time member of the First United Methodist Church where he served as an usher, taught the fourth Grade Sunday School class, was an MYF advisor and was an active volunteer with the Lawson Neel Med Bank. Mr. Bain was a member of the Masonic Lodge 369. For all of his unselfish contributions to this community, Mr. Bain was named the 1987 Thomasville/Thomas County’s “Man of the Year”. In addition to his wife of almost 56 years, he is survived by daughters, Virginia Lynne Bain and Laura Leigh Bain, both of Thomasville; a brother, Erick B. Bain (Carol) of Avon Lake, Ohio; brother-in-law Jimmy Vaughan (Mary Elizabeth) of Monticello, Florida; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Timothy F. Bain. The family will receive friends in the church’s Fellowship Hall from 1:00 pm to 1:45 pm prior to the service. Donations may be made to the Lawson Neel Med Bank, 1517 East Clay Street, Thomasville, GA 31792, the Thomas County Humane Society, 180 Big Star Drive, Thomasville, GA 31757 or any charity of choice.
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A native of Wilson County, North Carolina, he was born September 27, 1940, the son of John Daniel Bain Jr. and Mavis Ferrell Bain. He attended the Lucama public schools, graduating in 1968. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree from Atlantic Christian College in 1962. In September of that year, Mr. Bain moved to Thomasville to begin his teaching career at Thomasville High school where he taught business courses for three years. While there, he met Sally Vaughan whom he married on May 29, 1964. During the last year at THS, he began teaching evening courses at the Thomas Area Technical School, where his career spanned the next ten years. Concurrently, Mr. Bain commuted to Athens, Georgia, earning dual Masters Degrees in both Education and Data Processing from the University of Georgia in 1971. He was a member of Delta Pi Epsilon honorary business fraternity. As a graduate of the university, he remained a rabid UGA Bulldog fan until his death! Mr. Bain left teaching in 1975 when he became controller of Neel’s Department Store, the iconic shopping mecca for the region. Eventually he assumed the responsibility of President, CEO and finally owner of the Broad Street institution. Retail was not Mr. Bain’s sole business passion. Sometime later, he expanded his business interest to include Bain’s Auto Service Center, a full service gasoline station with automobile repair facilities. After Neel’s closed, Mr. Bain became the face of the corner of Crawford and Remington until failing health required the close of the business in 2016. Moving south from North Carolina, Mr. Bain grew to love Thomasville as his adopted home and worked for decades for the prosperity and advancement of the community. He immersed himself in many aspects of community - religious, service, commercial and political. In his various roles with Neel’s, Mr. Bain became a leader in the efforts to preserve the downtown business district during the late 1990s and the early 2000s. He was active in the Retail Merchant’s Association, and was president of Downtown Thomasville, Inc. He was a member and was elected to several terms as Chairman of the Downtown Development Authority. He served on the Board of the Thomasville/Thomas County Chamber of Commerce from 1990-1993. In service to this community, Mr. Bain was a member of the Thomasville Jaycees and was awarded the 1969-70 “Jaycees Man of the Year. As a member of the THS Touchdown Club, he was recognized for Outstanding Service in 1981. A long-time member of the Rotary Club of Thomasville, Mr. Bain served as the 1986-87 president and was named as a Will Watt Fellow and a Paul Harris Fellow. He was active with the Thomasville Music & Drama Troupe, serving as president from 1983 through 1987. He was elected to three four-year terms of the Thomasville City Board of Education and served as Chairman in 1987. Mr. Bain was a long-time member of the First United Methodist Church where he served as an usher, taught the fourth Grade Sunday School class, was an MYF advisor and was an active volunteer with the Lawson Neel Med Bank. Mr. Bain was a member of the Masonic Lodge 369. For all of his unselfish contributions to this community, Mr. Bain was named the 1987 Thomasville/Thomas County’s “Man of the Year”. In addition to his wife of almost 56 years, he is survived by daughters, Virginia Lynne Bain and Laura Leigh Bain, both of Thomasville; a brother, Erick B. Bain (Carol) of Avon Lake, Ohio; brother-in-law Jimmy Vaughan (Mary Elizabeth) of Monticello, Florida; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Timothy F. Bain. The family will receive friends in the church’s Fellowship Hall from 1:00 pm to 1:45 pm prior to the service. Donations may be made to the Lawson Neel Med Bank, 1517 East Clay Street, Thomasville, GA 31792, the Thomas County Humane Society, 180 Big Star Drive, Thomasville, GA 31757 or any charity of choice.
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