Obituary for Mary "Tina" D. Bain
Mary “Tina” Durham Bain, 86, of Pawcatuck, passed into larger life on June 16, 2020. Born in Cape May, New Jersey in 1933, she was the daughter of the late Mary Olcowick and William N. Durham.
Tina was a talented crafter: always had to have some creative project underway. As a young mother, this talent went into making her children’s clothing—from matching Easter coats and bonnets to school clothes. Later in life she would turn her love of sewing into quilt making. There’s no telling how many quilts she made in her lifetime because she never kept them; so many family members and friends have Tina quilts in their homes. She also made beautiful dolls and eventually turned that talent into a business, opening a shop, Happy Ragdolls, on Liberty Street in Pawcatuck. After a few years, because she couldn’t stop with just one hobby, she drew her husband, Billie Bain, into her endeavors, added doll houses to the doll business, and changed the name of the shop to “More Than Miniatures.” Today, she and her husband Billie can take credit for the beauty and joy they brought into many lives with their exquisite creations. Even in her final years, as she struggled with the limitations imposed on her by the infirmities of her disease, she was always asking for her sewing machine so she could make this or that for her fellow residents at the Westerly Health Center. But the disease that robbed her of this pleasure never robbed her of the twinkle in her eyes, her good humor, ready smile and gentle nature: qualities that endeared her to the many wonderful caregivers at Westerly Health Center who supported her and ensured a quality of life that defied the limitations of her condition.
Tina is survived by four of her five children: Deborah Victoria Dreher (Timothy), Jacquelyn Victoria (Mitch Buroker), Holly Victoria Caldwell (Chris), and Robert Victoria. She was predeceased by her daughter Alyce Shaw, her husband Billie Gene Bain and her brother William Nelson Durham. Tina was grandmother to ten grandchildren: Ryan Saunders and Leonesse McCabe, Miles and Catherine Buroker, Matthew and Elliott Shaw, Dylan Caldwell, and Hannah, Nicolas and Abby Victoria. She is also survived by eight great-grandchildren: Charles and Joshua Saunders, Jackson and Samuel McCabe, Jasper and Alyce Shaw, and Duncan and Ryan Shaw. Tina also leaves behind her beloved and devoted caregiver Amanda Bailey, to whom her family owes a tremendous debt of gratitude.
Funeral services will be held privately. Gaffney-Dolan Funeral Home, 59 Spruce Street, Westerly is in care of arrangements. In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to join them in supporting research and interventions that will end the cruelty of dementia in the lives of our beloved seniors. Donations may be made on Mary’s Alzheimer’s Association tribute page. http://act.alz.org/goto/marybain
For online condolences please visit www.gaffneydolanfuneralhome.com
Tina was a talented crafter: always had to have some creative project underway. As a young mother, this talent went into making her children’s clothing—from matching Easter coats and bonnets to school clothes. Later in life she would turn her love of sewing into quilt making. There’s no telling how many quilts she made in her lifetime because she never kept them; so many family members and friends have Tina quilts in their homes. She also made beautiful dolls and eventually turned that talent into a business, opening a shop, Happy Ragdolls, on Liberty Street in Pawcatuck. After a few years, because she couldn’t stop with just one hobby, she drew her husband, Billie Bain, into her endeavors, added doll houses to the doll business, and changed the name of the shop to “More Than Miniatures.” Today, she and her husband Billie can take credit for the beauty and joy they brought into many lives with their exquisite creations. Even in her final years, as she struggled with the limitations imposed on her by the infirmities of her disease, she was always asking for her sewing machine so she could make this or that for her fellow residents at the Westerly Health Center. But the disease that robbed her of this pleasure never robbed her of the twinkle in her eyes, her good humor, ready smile and gentle nature: qualities that endeared her to the many wonderful caregivers at Westerly Health Center who supported her and ensured a quality of life that defied the limitations of her condition.
Tina is survived by four of her five children: Deborah Victoria Dreher (Timothy), Jacquelyn Victoria (Mitch Buroker), Holly Victoria Caldwell (Chris), and Robert Victoria. She was predeceased by her daughter Alyce Shaw, her husband Billie Gene Bain and her brother William Nelson Durham. Tina was grandmother to ten grandchildren: Ryan Saunders and Leonesse McCabe, Miles and Catherine Buroker, Matthew and Elliott Shaw, Dylan Caldwell, and Hannah, Nicolas and Abby Victoria. She is also survived by eight great-grandchildren: Charles and Joshua Saunders, Jackson and Samuel McCabe, Jasper and Alyce Shaw, and Duncan and Ryan Shaw. Tina also leaves behind her beloved and devoted caregiver Amanda Bailey, to whom her family owes a tremendous debt of gratitude.
Funeral services will be held privately. Gaffney-Dolan Funeral Home, 59 Spruce Street, Westerly is in care of arrangements. In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to join them in supporting research and interventions that will end the cruelty of dementia in the lives of our beloved seniors. Donations may be made on Mary’s Alzheimer’s Association tribute page. http://act.alz.org/goto/marybain
For online condolences please visit www.gaffneydolanfuneralhome.com