John M. Sain, Sr.

John M. Sain, Sr., passed away peacefully at his home in the Spring Arbor Assisted Living facility in Williamsburg, VA on April 20, 2018. John was born on October 7, 1930 in Hickory, NC to the late Claude and Viola Sain. John graduated from Hampton High School in 1947 and immediately joined the Air Force at age 17. Upon returning home from the Air Force, he began his career at NACA/NASA Hampton/Langley in 1951. He became a Quality Assurance Aerospace Specialist and received numerous awards for his service. He took great pride in being at the forefront of the extraordinary efforts to develop and implement many of the systems and engineering developments associated with the first manned space travel. This was an exciting time in his life and he loved sharing his experiences and pictures. He was a Charter Member of the Northampton Lions Club established in February 1961. As a dedicated member of the Lions Club, John served as president four times and received the prestigious Melvin Jones Fellows Award. Recently, John attended the 57th Charter Anniversary Night. He was the last surviving charter member. He is survived by his son, John M. Sain, Jr., and wife, Penny, of Charles City, VA; his only grandchild, Ashley Blackmon and husband, Zack, of Williamsburg, VA; two great-grandchildren, Makenzie and Bryce Blackmon; and many nieces and nephews. The family would like to give their most sincere and heartfelt appreciation to all of the Spring Arbor of Williamsburg staff. They have truly made this a home for him over the past seven years. Our special thanks to Ginny for her care, comfort and close friendship. A visitation will be held on Tuesday, April 24 from 5:30 to 7:00p.m., followed by a memorial service at 7:00p.m. at Nelsen Funeral Home, 3785 Strawberry Plains Rd., Williamsburg, VA. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to North Hampton Lion’s Club, The Arbors at Port Warwick, 1100 William Styron Sq., South Newport News, VA. Online condolences may be offered at nelsenwilliamsburg.com.