Aubrey M. Gaines

Aubrey M. Gaines 1930 ~ 2011 Aubrey M. "Tiny" Gaines of Boise passed away April 19, 2011. Aubrey was born March 27, 1930, in Burlington, NJ. After graduating from Wilbur Watts High School he attended Benedict College in Columbia, SC, for two years on a football scholarship. He left college to join the US Air Force on April 26, 1950. He was honorably discharged in January 1954 after serving 15 months in Korea. Aubrey married Bernice Campbell in March 1959 in Denver, CO. They had one daughter, Dawn. In Denver he went to work for Morrison Knudsen. After 13 years on various projects with MK he struck out on his own, forming Gaines Construction Co., in Highland Park (Chicago), IL. His first big project was to build an auditorium at the National Accelerator Laboratory near Batavia, IL. At that time it was the largest federal project ever awarded to a minority contractor. After several years he was approached by an old colleague about returning to work for MK on a tunnel project in New York. He accepted the offer, dissolved his company and would go on to work for MK for a total of 32 years on projects throughout the US, as well as overseas in Turkey, Scotland, Saudi Arabia and Portugal. His work eventually brought him back to MK's home office in Boise where he worked until he retired in 1993. Aubrey was an active member of St. Paul Baptist Church and served as the chairman of the trustees. During his tenure in that position he was instrumental in ensuring a smooth transition for the church's move from its original location on Broadway to its current location on Bannock St. He was also a member of both the advisory board and the Laymen's Ministry and organized the Seniors' Ministry. His interests after retiring included his church activities, his daughter, his grandchildren and fishing. In 1994 he established the Rosa Parks Scholarship at Boise State University. He was preceded in death by his wife Bernice. He is survived by his only daughter Dawn (Jerry) Yantek and grandchildren Krystal and Eric. Memorial services will be Monday, April 25, 2011 at 11:00 AM at St. Paul Baptist Church. Graveside services will be at Morris Hill Cemetery, with a reception following at the church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Rosa Parks Scholarship, Boise State University, 2225 University Ave., Boise ID 83706.