John Henry Paine

OLD ORCHARD BEACH – John Henry Paine, 86, of Portland Avenue, passed on March 24, 2025 at the Southern Maine Medical Center in Biddeford.

John was born in Somerville, Mass., the son of Charles and Annie (Gardner) Paine and was raised with his four siblings in Old Orchard Beach. After high school, he served in the United States Marine Corps, from 1956 to 1958, a duty he was forever proud of. Upon completion of his service, John attended technical school for electronics, the field in which he would spend his entire career.

John met his wife of 47 years, Winifred (Turner), while working at Jarrell Ash/Fischer Scientific in Waltham, Mass. John had a long career as an Engineer in the nascent fields of Spectrometry and Medical and Surgical Laser Technology. His career saw him travelling for business to Europe and South America. Eventually he settled down and worked for several new upstart companies in Massachusetts and Connecticut, where he and his wife raised their family and met friends with whom they forged lifelong relationships.

In 2016, after his wife’s passing, John returned to where he was raised in Maine and remained close to his boyhood friends for the remainder of his life.

John enjoyed racing his Camaro in SCCA competition where he won scores of medals and made many lifelong friends. He was an avid fisherman, spending days on his boat with his close friends. John also loved tinkering in his workshop, had the Paine superpower where he could build or fix anything and never missed an opportunity to help someone, whether they were a friend, family or a stranger.

Later in life, John relished his loving friendships with his closest friends, Frank, Charlie, Marie, their families and all of the others who provided him joy and companionship in his later years.

John is survived by his sons John G. Paine and wife Margaret Anne (Williams) of Swampscott, Mass., and Andrew J. Paine of Twin Mountain, N.H.; as well as his grandson, Jack Paine of Swampscott, Mass. He is also survived by his sister, Carol Paquet of York; as well many nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his brothers Tommy and Bobby and his sister, Joan.

A mass of Christian Burial will be held Friday April 11, at 1 p.m. at St. Margaret’s Church, 6 Saco Ave., Old Orchard Beach. USMC funeral honors will conclude the mass. Burial at a later date. Dennett, Craig & Pate Funeral Home, 365 Main St., Saco are entrusted with his services.