Earmel Cain

Earmel Gene Cain, known to the many people who loved him as “E.G.”, rode away to Heaven on November 10, 2019, presumably in one of his beloved 1932 Ford Model A cars. It’s hard to know which car it was because he had many to choose from. Earmel was born on April 9, 1932 to Doyle and Irene (Smith) Cain in Smithville, Indiana of Monroe County. He was 9 lbs and 6 oz, which contrasts to the small stature he grew up to be. But as we all know, great things come in small packages, and Earmel was one of the greatest of souls to walk this earth. Shortly after graduating Bloomington High School, he wed Charlotte (Roy) Cain on September 16, 1950. They adopted a son, Gregory Cain, in January 1964 and were married 56 years before she passed away in September 2006.

Earmel and Charlotte lived in and around Bloomington, Indiana for two years before moving to Cincinnati, Ohio. He was able to snag a job as a truck driver for Charlotte’s father for four years until 1956, when he went to work for BESL Transfer Heavy Hauling, where he worked for 8 years. This is probably where Earmel got the skills to drive motorhomes and pull his trailers to the countless swap meets he attended to buy, sell, and trade anything with a motor. He started a boat business, Cain’s Marine Services, which he sold in 1976 before retiring to Ft. Myers, Florida. He eventually had enough sunshine and moved back to Cincinnati in 1986.

Everywhere Earmel lived and went, he left a trail of friends, and there’s not a person in this world that can’t say only the best things about him. At 87 years old, countless cars, boats, and motorcycles have passed through Earmel’s hands because of his love of restoring them. And he has touched immeasurable lives through this passion, including celebrities Jay Leno, Reba McIntyre, and Conway Twitty. However, the biggest star in his life was his second wife, Mary Lou (Baugh) Cain.

At 74, Earmel met Mary Lou in January 2007. Not knowing what to get him for his birthday that April 9th – because what do you give the man who has everything? – Mary Lou gave him the only gift she knew he wanted, her hand in marriage. Having only met three months earlier, many might have thought the quick marriage was because Mary Lou was “in a family way”, which is often a joke they told the many strangers who spoke of how playful and in love they looked in those three months. When Earmel and Mary Lou married, he was not only given the title of her husband, but he was given the titles of father, grandfather, and great-grandfather for Mary Lou’s family. He especially loved being called Poppy by his great-grandson, Owen. It’s impossible to express how happy Earmel and Mary Lou were in the last 12 years, but he often said that living with Mary Lou by the river was the happiest he’d been in his life. There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved.

Earmel will be meeting his parents; first wife, Charlotte; younger brother, Earl; sisters, Kathleen and Bonnie, and his beloved cat, Baby, in Heaven as they preceded him in death. He will be waiting for the following people to join him in Heaven at a later date; his wife, Mary Lou and their cat, Tom; younger brothers Randall (Earleen) and Doyle (Paula); younger sister Susie (Steve); daughters Patty (Alan) and Tammy (Rick); sons Bobby (Lisa) and Gregory; grandchildren Jen (Dave), Kelly, and Melissa (Randy); and four great-grandchildren.

A memorial gathering will be held on Thursday, November 14, 2019 from 5pm-7pm with a memorial service to follow at 7pm at Rose Hill Funeral Home, Hamilton, Ohio. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Animal Friends Humane Society in Hamilton, Ohio. A special thank you to Queen City Hospice for their wonderful help.