Gordon Paine

Gordon Wayne Paine, 95, of Johnson Creek, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully at Angels Grace Hospice on January 25, 2025.

Gordon was born on July 23, 1929, in Bloomer, Wisconsin, to Simeon Lyle Paine and Thora Olson Paine. He was the sixth of nine siblings and was preceded in death by his wife, Loraine (Lani) Paine; his son, Timothy Paine; his parents; and his siblings, Asa, Leonard, Eunice, Clifford, Tyler, Robert, Betty, and Raymond. He is survived by his son, Thomas Paine and wife Kathy; his daughter, Esther (Ingbretson) and her husband Conrad; his granddaughter, Harmony (Pace); grandsons Theodore, Tiernan, and Trevor; and great-grandchildren Ava (Rutzinski), Dominick, Alora, Alex, Maxwell and Olive.

Gordon's life was one of service, adventure, and dedication. His early life was one of farming, then at 17 he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1946, where he served as a corporal stationed in Las Cruces, New Mexico. His duties included preparing V2 rockets for test firing, driving as a chauffeur, and working as a mechanic. He returned home in 1948, where he worked as a deckhand on a tugboat and later became a tankerman, unloading shipments in Milwaukee and New Orleans for his uncle, a founder of Clark Oil Company.

After returning to Milwaukee in 1950, Gordon married his beloved wife Loraine (Lani) Theoharis. In 1952, the couple moved to New Orleans for work and where they both were baptized as Jehovah’s Witnesses on December 7 of that year. Their faith played a central role in their lives, and they moved to Slidell, Louisiana in 1954, where they helped establish the first congregation in that area. Their passion for sharing the good news from the scriptures about God’s Kingdom and mankind’s future on earth brought them much joy throughout their lives. In Louisiana from the mid-1950s to the early 1960s Gordon worked as a chemist for Coca-Cola, ensuring the quality of water and bottles. He then owned a successful beverage home delivery service followed by being an insurance claims adjuster.

Returning to Wisconsin, Gordon owned a business selling and installing aluminum siding which was quite popular for a time. His love for travel led him to the trucking industry, where he hauled everything from live turkeys to cars. In the mid-1980s, he began hauling citrus fruit from Florida and eventually founded Tree-Ripe Citrus Co. in 1990. The business is still operated by his family today, spanning three generations. Known to his friends as “Gordy,” Gordon was well-liked and enjoyed sharing stories from his remarkable life, as well as listening to others’ experiences. His faith and his family were his greatest joys, and he lived a full and fascinating life.

A brief graveside service will be held at 2:00 PM on Saturday, September 20, 2025, at Bloomer City Cemetery. Relatives and friends are welcome.