James N. "Whitey" Cain

James N. “Whitey” Cain, age 85, of Auburn, Georgia, died on March 12, 2026, surrounded by his family. Born on September 6, 1940, in Tucker, Georgia, to Elmer Luke Cain and Dovie Mae Hazelrigs Cain, he was the youngest of ten children, all of whom, along with his parents, preceded him in death. From an early age, James developed a deep passion for working with his hands. He attended Tucker School and Tucker Baptist Church, and at fifteen he left school to begin a lifetime of skilled labor, first helping build homes and hauling peanuts with his brother Eldon.

James spent more than six decades in construction and related industries, working alongside his father and brothers in home and industrial building, road grading, and concrete production throughout DeKalb and Gwinnett counties. The family operated a successful business that included a ready-mix concrete plant in Lilburn until it closed in 1985. He later served as a sales representative for W.T. Mayfield Specialized Carriers and as manager of Specialized Carrier Trucking for Latex Pipeline Company, traveling across thirty-five states before retiring in 2003. A Mason for fifty-three years, he was raised in Greenville Masonic Lodge #321 F. & A.M. and later affiliated with Tucker Masonic Lodge #42 F. & A.M., where his father had been a charter member.

In Meriwether County, James lived for twenty-five years on a farm in Gay, Georgia, where he raised his three children and gave his life to Christ at First Baptist Church of Gay. He often reflected on the satisfaction he found in honest work, the people he met, and the lessons of faith and integrity passed down by his parents. Known as a “man’s man” with a kind heart, he was a steady mentor to apprentices, a devoted husband and father, and someone who took genuine joy in helping others.

James is survived by his beloved wife of thirty years, Karren L. Bogdan Cain of Auburn; his children, Shawn Cain and wife Serena, and their daughter McKenzie of Griffin; Shannon Cain Montgomery and husband Scott, and their daughters Abby and Shelby of Eufaula, Alabama; and Patrick Cain and wife Martina, and their children Isabella, Sophia, and Gabriel of Marietta. He also leaves five step-children—Lisa Bargeron and husband Jay, Jackie Treadway, Jeff Bogdan and wife Jeni, Todd Bogdan and wife Katja, and Tim Bogdan—along with thirteen grandchildren, thirteen great-grandchildren, thirteen nieces and nephews, and a wide circle of friends.