Dennis P Cain

Dennis Patrick Cain died peacefully Wednesday evening, December 18th at Springfield Regional Medical Center after spending his final day of life surrounded by friends and family. He leaves behind a legacy of self-sacrifice as a family man, loyal service to the Dayton-Springfield business community, and of one-of-a-kind passion and energy. He spent each morning having a cup of coffee with his wife and best friend of 20 years – Patricia Cain, survived –looking to “get motivated” before setting out to live each day with purpose and zeal. His steadfast motivation and sense of purpose is what made him an incredible husband, father, friend and business owner. Dennis was born on June 23rd, 1958 in Cincinnati, OH. He was the 4th of 5 children, and he is preceded in death by his father (Donald Cain), his mother (Diane Cain), and his oldest sister Jan Schmitt. He is survived by his older brother Jack (Janeen) Cain, older sister Sandra Fritzsch, and younger brother Tom (Melody) Cain. He enjoyed much of his childhood bustling around the Midwest with his family, before moving to Greenville, OH in time to start his freshman year at Greenville High School. While there, Dennis excelled in baseball and football, while also nurturing his social side. Dennis’ two best friends in high school – Tim Burns and Bruce Hirsch - remained loyal to Dennis throughout their adult lives and were with Dennis at his bedside the day he passed away. Dennis went on to play baseball for the University of North Alabama, before meeting his first wife in Indiana and settling briefly in South Bend, IN, where his 3 children were born – Erin Cain, Molly (James) Seitz, and Patrick (Allison) Cain. He is additionally survived on that side by 6 grandchildren in South Bend, and 4 in Denver, CO. Despite the distance, Dennis spent his life deepening his relationships with his children and grandchildren, and he (no joke!) never missed a school play, graduation, baptism or wedding. They will miss “Papa Cain’s” arrival in the driveway and his booming, but always warm, voice through the doorway. Dennis married Patricia Cain in 2004, and he is additionally survived by Patricia’s oldest son Michael (Michelle) Mays and youngest son James (Rhonda) Mays. He is preceded in death by Patricia’s middle son, Jon Mays. Dennis enveloped himself immediately into the Mays family, fostering loving relationships with his 18 grandchildren in Akron and Springfield, OH. Together, Dennis and Patricia successfully operated PC Cleaning, a commercial cleaning business that served over 50 businesses around the Dayton-Springfield area for close to 30 years. Dennis poured every bit of himself into his business, mentoring dozens of employees and showing by example how to meet client needs and deliver outstanding service. Several PC Cleaning clients have remained with Dennis and Patricia from the foundation of their business, a testament to their commitment to quality work and client relationships. When not working, you would find Dennis and Patricia visiting friends at the local VFW, riding their motorcycles throughout the Springfield area, or cheering on Dennis’ beloved Green Bay Packers and Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Their bike group, “Independent Riders,” frequently served the community via food drives and fundraisers, many of these directly supporting the VFW. Dennis and Patricia met one another over many “bonfire talks,” and their relationship deepened over 20 years in this same intimate way under a night sky on their back porch. Dennis’ life was defined and driven by his relationships. Throughout his life, he sacrificed much to keep his bonds with family and friends strong. Toward the end, these bonds motivated him through medical diagnoses and setbacks. He fought because those who loved him needed him to fight. Through all this, he would think often of his idol, John Wayne: “Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” His family is immensely grateful that Dennis chose to saddle up so often in his life.

Dennis P Cain

June 23, 1958 - December 18, 2024