Obituary of Rex Clark Cain

Rex Clark Cain, 75 years old, of St. Petersburg, FL passed away on Friday, June 30th, 2023, at St. Anthony’s Hospital. He is preceded in death by his parents Ermie Herbert Cain and Annie Ruth Clark Cain. Rex is survived by his brother Kenneth Cain; nephews Nick Cain and Chris Cain; great nephews Elijah Cain, Levi Cain, Luke Cain, Joshua Cain, Julian Cain, Mikey Cain, and Christopher Cain Jr.; great nieces Christiana Cain, Megan Cain, and Naomi Cain; godson Ryan Avedisian; goddaughter Marie Avedisian Nelson.

Rex was born in Enterprise, Alabama and lived there until he was six years old when the family moved to Orlando, Florida. He attended Edgewater High School and graduated in 1965. He attended University of Alabama and then joined the United States Air Force where he ultimately achieved the rank of Sgt E-4. He was honorably discharged from the USAF in 1974 and attended University of Central Florida where he received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1975, his Master’s Degree in 1981, and his Doctorate in Education in 1992 with his dissertation on The Choice and Satisfaction of Women in Non-Traditional Occupations. During his 30-year career in adult education, he made lasting and positive impacts on thousands of lives. Rex worked at the Primrose Center in Orlando for nine and a half years as a job coach and advocate for people with developmental disabilities. The latter part of his career was spent at Orlando Correctional Facility for 18 years teaching literacy, general education, and employment skills for GED students. He took great satisfaction in helping those students especially knowing that many were the first in their family to graduate. He retired in 2008 but continued to teach, mentor, and inspire those around him.

Rex came from a family of Masons starting with his great-grandfather, who was a founding brother of the Pea River Lodge in Alabama. His grandfather and father followed suit, and his mother was a Worthy Grand Matron of the Eastern Star. Rex became a Mason on October 10, 2000, which notably was his great-grandfather’s birthday. In 2005 he was the Worshipful Master of Composite Lodge #293 in Orlando. Rex was also a member of Eastern Star, Scottish Rite, Shrine, and was the Worshipful Master and Hight Priest for his York Rite Chapter. Rex was always extremely proud to be a Mason and said, “He didn’t know where he would have been if it weren’t for the Masons.”

In 2016 Rex moved from Orlando, FL to The Masonic Home of Florida in St. Petersburg, Florida and continued to stay active, sharing his knowledge and experience with the residents as well as in the community. He continued to share his time teaching catechism at the North Side Lodge, tutoring students at North Shore Elementary, and volunteering with the children’s program at The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter.

Rex was a happy, welcoming, and loving person who was always first to help without asking for anything in return. He would always say “I do not need you to pay me back, I need you to pay it forward.” He was very passionate about education and believed everyone should have the right to education. He spent much of his time reading, of which William Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway were among his favorite authors. Rex deeply loved his family, friends, church, teaching, sports (especially college football), socializing, the family home in Flagler Beach, Gulf Coast oysters and a good cup of coffee. Rex’s memorial service will be held at The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in St. Petersburg, Florida on Thursday June 6, 2023, at 11:00 am.