Evelyn Elizabeth Bain of Lady Lake, Florida, passed away on February 12, 2025. The daughter of Dorothea and Peter Strand, Evie was born on March 12, 1944 and raised in Detroit MI. She graduated from Cooley High School in 1962. Evie met her husband, Jim Bain, at Cooley High School and it was "love at first sight". Evie was elected as Class President in her senior year…the first girl in the history of Cooley to have that honor. Both Evie and Jim graduated from Cooley in January 1962. Evie attended Wayne State and majored in Communications and continued to date Jim who was away attending college first at the University of Michigan and then Adrian College…their love remained strong throughout their college years, and Jim and Evie were married in Detroit at Henderson Memorial Methodist Church on February 5, 1966.

Jim and Evie lived first in Texas as Jim was an officer in the U.S. Air Force and then on to Biloxi, Mississippi, and then Wiesbaden, Germany, where they spent an exciting 4 years with their two German Shephard dogs. Their older son, Jeff Bain, was born in Wiesbaden Germany on 10/28/1968. The family relocated back to the U.S. in 1972 where their 2nd son, Jason Bain was born in Detroit on 9/18/1972. Jim and Evie spent about 5 years in Ohio where they, because of their love of animals, owned and operated a boarding kennel for dogs. Events brought Jim and Evie back to Michigan in 1980, and Evie continued as a business woman…first running a grooming shop in Brighton and then Evie and Jim bought Regency Kennels in Belleville, Michigan, in 1990.

Over these busy years, Jeff and Jason were two very active boys…provided exciting family memories. Jeff graduated from Michigan State and has been doing missionary work in Russia for over 20 years. Jeff fell in love and married Natasha. Jeff, Natasha and their son AJ and daughter Sonya still reside in Russia. Jason went to college in Michigan and Colorado, and after college settled in Crested Butte where he enjoyed working, skiing, motorcycling and skating. Jason's desire for additional education led him to the Motorcycle Mechanic Institute in Orlando, Florida. During this time his son Jameson was born, and after Jason's graduation, the family enthusiastically returned to Colorado and settled in Golden.

Evie keenly enjoyed her kennel/grooming businesses, agility training with her much loved dogs, gardening (on their 10 acres of land surrounding Regency Kennels), music (Evie played a variety of instruments) and both Evie and Jim sang in various church choirs. Over the years, family and friends who enjoyed sharing in these activities created a wonderful, rich and a very full life for the Bain family.

Evie is survived by her loving husband, Jim Bain; two sons, Jeff Bain (wife Natasha) and Jason Bain (wife Autumn); sister, Karen Rosenstein; beloved grandchildren: AJ, Sonya, Jameson and Peyton; sister-in-law, Peggy Cole, and two nieces Susie Elkouri (Cole) and Debby Cole.

Immediate family predeceasing Evie were her parents: Dorothea (2003) and Peter Strand (1968); Jim's parents: James (1996) and Marie Bain (2006); grandchildren (twins): Jacey Skylar Bain & Alex Marie Bain (10/14/2001 – 10/23/2001); brother-in-law: Alan Rosenstein (2023); brother-in-law: Norman Cole (2018).

A Celebration of Life for Evie will be held on Thursday, February 27, 2025 at 11:00 am at the New Covenant United Methodist Church of The Villages, 3470 Woodbridge Dr., The Villages, FL 32150. Family and friends, who are unable to attend in person, will be able to view Evie's Celebration of Life in real time online at: www.ncumcfl.

* * *

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations go to:

Footprints International to support the expenses of Sonya Bain and her family in Sonya's ongoing fight against Childhood Leukemia. Checks can be sent to: Footprints International, PO Box 211, Milford MI 48381-2054. Check Memo: "St. Petersburg Expense Fund". Additional information is available by contacting either: Jim Bain, Jbain@comcast.net or Jeff Bain, jeff.natasha.bain@gmail.com