News

George Fain Jr. dies, was last Fain to serve as T-N publisher

George R. Fain Jr. died on May 30.

By Bill Moss, Published: June 4, 2019

George R. Fain Jr., a newspaper man turned innkeeper and the last of the Fain family to serve as publisher of the Hendersonville Times-News, died Thusday, May 30, at the John F. Keever Solace Center in Asheville, NC, after an extended illness. He was 74.

George Ramey Fain Jr. was born in Hendersonville on July 20, 1944, to the late George Ramey Fain Sr. and Mary Louise Ratchford Fain Seigler.

George and his wife of 30 years, Becky Bass Fain, have lived for more than 15 years in Waynesville, where they were the innkeepers of the Inn at Iris Meadows Bed and Breakfast on Love Lane. George grew up in Hendersonville, and Abbeville, SC. He graduated from Davidson College in 1966 and joined the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant with the Adjutant General Corps.He became publisher of the Times-News in Hendersonville, at age 29, following his uncle, James T. Fain Jr., and grandfather, J.T. Fain Sr.

He spent his career in the newspaper business, working in marketing and publishing for papers in Hendersonville, Greenville, SC, Lumberton, NC, Petersburg, VA, Conyers, GA, and Tarboro, NC. An avid community volunteer, George held key volunteer roles for United Way, Petersburg Education Foundation, Chambers of Commerce, YMCA, Salvation Army, state Press Associations and many other community causes. During his role as innkeeper at Iris Meadows, he also doubled as the general manager for the Union Daily Times in Union, S.C. in 2011.
He loved his family, the newspaper business, the printed word, books, music and choral singing (church choirs, community chorus groups), community theater participation, golf, and his pets. With his wife Becky he shared a love of antiquing, gardening, stained glass, pottery, and pets when they became bed and breakfast innkeepers. He created the best-ever waffles, muffins and banana nut breads which were enjoyed by many guests. He was often heard singing joyously as he mowed the Iris Meadows.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a daughter, Sarah Elizabeth Fain, of Statesboro, GA; a brother, George Eugene “Rick” Seigler, of Laurens, SC; his first wife, Marilyn Botts Fain of Greenville, S.C.; two sisters-in-law, Dilys Bass Stowell of Norfolk, VA and Gerry Bass Altman of Cross, SC; brother-in-law Joe G. Bass of Evergreen, NC, cherished first cousins Michael Fain of Raleigh and Ann Bowen McCown and her husband Vance of Tryon; as well as by his long-time constant canine companion, Scratch Fain (2000-2017); the two were inseparable as they welcomed guests to the Waynesville Inn.
In addition to wife Becky Bass Fain, George is survived by a son, Christopher Ramey Fain and wife Jennifer, of Simpsonville, SC; four terrific grandchildren, Emily, Kylie, Jacob, and Aaron Fain; a daughter Jill Britt Hunt of Norfolk, Virginia; a brother William Perrin Seigler of Abbeville, SC; sister-n-law, Grace Bass Britt of Lumberton; sister-in-law and brother-in-law Jane Bass Holt and Townsend Holt of Florence, SC; brother-in-law and sister-in-law Jim and Sara Bass of Sanford, NC; sister-in-law Annie Hood Bass Britt of Evergreen, NC, sister-in-law Ann Seigler of Laurens, SC; brother-in-law Thomas Stowell (Dilys) of Norfolk, VA; several first cousins, Barry Gilmer (Fred) of Greenville, SC, Jim Fain (Peggy) of Raleigh, Sandy Fain (Michael) of Raleigh, NC and Robert Fain (Debbie) of Augusta, GA.
George’s family extends special thanks to the medical staff of Keever Solace Center, the CarePartners Hospice Team, and to Asheville Drs. James Weaver and Duff Rardin and Landon Poteat and Memory Care’s Drs. Lisa Verges and Amy Cohen, and Carly Wood, SW, for their caring support during George’s extended illness.
A Celebration of George’s Life will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 8, at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Hendersonville, with the Revs. Robert Fain and Dwight Christenbury officiating. Burial will follow in the Fain family plot of Oakdale Cemetery in Hendersonville. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, June 7, at Thomas Shepherd funeral home in Hendersonville.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution in George Fain’s honor to the AFTD, the Association for Fronto-Temporal Degeneration, athttps://www.theaftd.org/support-aftds-mission/1-866-507-7222 .
An online register book is available for family and friends by visitingwww.thosshepherd.com. Thos. Shepherd & Son Funeral Directors is in charge of arrangements.