Bruce Kahrs Bain

Bruce Kahrs Bain, active member of Westminster Presbyterian Church, successful businessman, and avid fly-fisherman, died on March 15 at his home in Akron, with his wife of 70 years at his side.  He was 90 years old.

Mr. Bain came to Akron in 1952, after graduating from Yale University with a Degree in Engineering, to marry his wife, partner, and love, Julia Enyart.  Born and raised in Amherst, MA, Mr. Bain quickly adopted the Mid-western warmth that imbued everything he did and everyone that he touched throughout his life.

Upon arriving in Akron, Bain worked on the Goodyear Inflatoplane project, an inflatable experimental aircraft made by the Goodyear Aircraft Company.  While never commercially viable, the plane did meet its design objectives, a point of pride that Mr. Bain would bring with him to his model airplane building, which was a life-long hobby.

Always with at least one model airplane under construction, and one ready for flight, Bain spent hours on the flying field, honing the design of his aircraft and his flying skills with ever more complicated aerial tricks and turns.  With children, grandchildren, and finally great-grandchildren in tow, he never offered more than a flinch when handing the controls over to his proteges, certain in the knowledge that only matchsticks would accompany them home.

Mr. Bain worked at The Bonnot Company for most of his professional career, first, with his father-in-law, and then, as owner, purchasing the company in the 1980’s.  Bain’s philosophy at the company was, “the customer is your partner.”  The company’s test room was made available as a service to customers, allowing the Bonnot team to collaborate on function and design of the complex extruding machines which they built.  Bain would attribute the company’s success to this model. Customers included Purina, Frito-Lay, and Lifesavers, among other multi-national corporations.

His passion for business brought him out of retirement in the 2000’s to purchase Flexcut Tool Company, a manufacturer of artisan knives.  He would say that his son, who ran the company, made the work rewarding and kept him young. He maintained a desk in the office until the day he died.

The Church centered Bain throughout his life.  With his wife Julia, he was one of the longest serving members of Westminster Presbyterian Church, serving in leadership roles through the tenure of many pastors, giving of his time, energy, and spirituality to a growing congregation. Together with Julia and Mr. and Mrs. Richard Staiger, he established the Margaret C. Enyart Memorial Music Fund, to promise the gift of music to the heavens for generations to come.

But above all else, was Mr. Bain’s family.  Blessed with his life-long love and wife of 70 years, Julia; five children, Stephen, Bruce, George, Margaret, and Anne and their spouses, Jennifer, Arla, Maureen, Michael, and Terry; twenty-one grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren, family was the treasure that brought joy, happiness, humor, solace, and comfort throughout his 90 years.  He traveled around the world with Julia. He spent summers teaching his grandchildren how to fish on his beloved Spofford Lake.  He tolerated high school parties for his sons and liberal edicts from his daughters. He built patriotic floats for the Fairlawn Heights 4th of July Parades year after year and cooked hamburgers over the fire for the 2nd Sunday in October Picnic for 50 years.  The love of his family and from his family filled his every moment until the day he died.  As he always promised himself it would.

This is the legacy that he leaves.  Exceptionally close, Bain’s family recently gathered together for Julia and his 90th birthdays, as they have throughout his life, to celebrate the love that he fostered, the care and understanding that he taught by example, and the joy that is a life well-lived.

Memorial Service will be held 11:30 A.M. MONDAY March 21 at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1250 W. Exchange Street Akron, OH 44313, with Pastor David Aber officiating. Private interment at Rose Hill Burial Park. Contributions in honor of Bruce Bain’s extraordinary life may be made to the Margaret C. Enyart Memorial Music Fund at Westminster Presbyterian Church.

Services in care of The Billow Funeral Homes and Crematory, Fairlawn Chapel, 85 N Miller Road  Akron, OH  44333.