Gary Lee Paine

Gary Lee Paine passed away on Thursday, July 26, 2018 at Unity Point (Methodist) Hospital in Des Moines. A memorial funeral service will be held at 1:00 PM, Saturday, August 11, 2018 at Peterson Funeral Home in Indianola, IA. A reception will follow services from 2:00 3:30 PM at the funeral home. A private burial of ashes will take place at a later date in the Bondurant Cemetery.
Gary was a farmer for many years and then became a master mechanic who worked on semi-trucks. He was the person you went to when something mechanical needed work. He could usually diagnose the issue over the phone. Gary was brilliant and could teach himself whatever it is he wanted to do. He wanted to learn more about computers, so he studied, and began building them from scratch. He wanted to shoe horses, so he studied, and began shoeing show horses. He wanted to train his young Arabian horse, so he studied, and trained his Arabian horse from scratch and into a successful show career. If he put his mind to learning something, he didn't just learn it, he mastered it! He was a mentor for a lot of people throughout his life. He set a great example for setting goals and conquering them to the best of his ability.
Gary was a natural comedian. He loved to laugh (sometimes at his own jokes) and make others laugh and could make just about anyone smile, no matter their mood. If you spent much time with him, you would know he could have you laughing hysterically within minutes. Gary's best friend in life was his wife of 52 years, Frankie. They were married very young, with the odds stacked against them, and they persevered and enjoyed their life and family together. They shared a very strong bond. Gary and Frankie lived in Bondurant, IA the majority of their lives, and moved to Lacona, IA in 2004 to live on their farm. Together, they raised and cared for all kinds of animals such as: Arabian horses, Limousin cattle, Boston Terriers, chickens, geese, ducks, parrots, and more.
His love, patience, and compassion for animals gave him an "animal whisperer" type persona, where he could make a pet out of just about any animal. He also had a passion for nicknames, everybody he knew (including the animals) had one! He had one goal with his nicknames, that was to make you smile! He also loved the outdoors whether it be working in his extensive garden (he loved to can food), camping, sitting out by the bonfire, or spending time with the horses/cattle doing daily chores. He loved to ride and show Arabian horses and shared this passion with his two youngest girls, Kerry and Amy. He loved to raise and show cattle and shared this passion with his oldest daughter, Michele. He loved to work on farm equipment, tinker on vehicles, and dabble in IT with his son, Bud.
Gary is preceded in death by his father David Paine, mother Bonnie Paine, and daughter, Kerry Paine. He is survived by his wife Frankie Paine of Lacona; children, Michele (Jeffrey) Becker of Lucas, Bud (Ann) Paine of West Des Moines, Amy (Nathan) Kubli of Altoona, 9 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren and a 3rd on the way.