MICHAEL PAINE Obituary

Name: Funeral Mass for MICHAEL PAINE
Start: 2022-01-15T15:00:00.000Z
Location: St Mary's Catholic Church

PAINE--Rear Admiral Michael. Surgeon Rear Admiral Michael Paine (Royal Navy) Canaan, NH. Michael Paine of Canaan died on 2nd December 2021. He was born on 18th March 1939 in Sydney, Australia, where his father was posted to serve with the Royal Australian Navy. He was the son of Commander Geoffrey "Agony" Paine and Eileen (Irwin) Paine of Hampshire, UK. After graduating from Downside School, Somerset, UK, he trained as a doctor at the London Hospital Medical College receiving his degree in medicine and surgery in 1963. He became a member of the Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1982. Michael joined the Royal Navy in 1964 as a Surgeon Lieutenant and served on multiple ships and submarines. He served as the Medical Adviser to NATO from 1992-1997 and was appointed Medical-Director General of the Royal Navy in 1997. He retired from the Royal Navy in 1999. Michael married Thayer (Clark) Paine of Princeton, NJ in 1972. Together they lived in Plymouth, Devon and Portsmouth in the UK. On his retirement they moved to Canaan, New Hampshire, where they renovated a house on Canaan Street. Michael was actively involved in the local community, helping, amongst other things, to establish the Mascoma Community Health Center. He also served on the board of the Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital. He was an active member of the Cardigan Mountain School community, where he briefly taught when he first arrived in Canaan, and was a long-standing parishioner of St Mary's Catholic Church. Thayer predeceased Michael in 2015. His elder sister Elizabeth (Paine) Bingham of Rutland, UK, died in 2020. Michael is survived by his younger sister Sarah (Paine) Howard of Dorset, UK, and 10 nephews and nieces and multiple grand and great-grand nephews and nieces. A Funeral Mass will be held on January 15 at 10am at St Mary's Catholic Church in Canaan. A memorial service celebrating his life will be held in the Summer. Donations to Mascoma Community Health Center, PO Box 550, Canaan, NH 03741.

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Published by New York Times on Dec. 23, 2021.

Memories and Condolences
for MICHAEL PAINE

8 Entries

Margaret Teh

December 17, 2024

As I have already said, Michael is so fondly remembered as my husband Ben Teh´s best friend when they shared top honours at the Royal College of Surgeons in London in 1972, just before his marriage to Thayer. He is still fondly remembered and sadly missed.

Stevan Jackson

February 21, 2022

I served twice in the Royal Navy with Mike Paine on the staff of the Commander in Chief Fleet. He was always very supportive of me and was a huge help in my career. I am very sorry to hear of his death and send my sincerest condolences to Thayer.

Carol Majewski

January 13, 2022

We so enjoyed our friendship with Michael and Thayer in Canaan. His wit, knowledge and his storytelling of his years in the Royal Navy made every get-together more fun. He was an incredible asset to the Canaan community, serving in many roles to further its growth while maintaining its charm. We missed seeing him as frequently after we moved a few years ago and are so sad to hear of his passing.

Margaret Teh

January 13, 2022

Farewell, dear life-long friend of mine and my husband Dr Ben Teh. Thank you for all the love and fun in our long friendship with you and Thayer, and for introducing us to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy via the first radio broadcasts in England! I am reading it with my grandson now, and think of you every time we crack up laughing! It so reflects your vast historical, social and scientific knowledge, and your sense of the ridiculous. RIP dear friend. Covid made it impossible for me to visit you these past 2 years, sadly.

Margaret Teh

January 13, 2022

My family remember Michael as our best friend while he was training with my husband Dr Ben Teh at the Royal College of Surgeons in London. We stayed in touch with him and Thayer over all the years, and so appreciated his dry wit, his vast knowledge and appreciation of Naval history and the human condition. He introduced Ben to Douglas Adam's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and I think of Michael now while reading it and laughing out loud with my 17yr old grandson in Portugal. I know you will all miss him very much, but he did have a wonderful and fulfilling life, which he shared with us all. Much love from the Teh family, originally from Sydney, but now all over the world.

Peter Thurber

December 29, 2021

I knew Michael from our time working together at Cardigan Mountain School and then as a friend, neighbor, and colleague working to build the Mascoma Community Health Center. He was an amazing force of a man and a good friend to so many. He gave of his time, resources, and expertise to our planning and development of the Health Center and it is clear to everyone who has worked on this project over the years that we would not have been successful without him. His commitment to our community and the people who live here will be how I remember this remarkable man. His presence in our small town that he chose to make his home will be missed.

Patricia Mercer

December 28, 2021

He was my dearest friend. I loved doing the gardens with and for him. And sharing many stories with him.
Pat

Joanne Miller

December 26, 2021

Dr. Paine was the perfect neighbor especially when it came with
the arrival of Chloe, my Labrador Retriever puppy. She was heartily welcomed for those lengthy walks and swims in the lake, with his two Labs.
Michael took an immediate interest, besides Cardigan Mountain School, in the needs of Canaan - the Mascoma Health Center.
Thank you, Dr. Paine.

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