Jim Fain’s love of newspapers propelled him through a more than 40-year career with Cox Newspapers, including a stint at The Atlanta Journal in the 1940s. Before he retired, Mr. Fain became a national correspondent for Cox in the company’s Washington bureau.
“There’s a song in ‘A Chorus Line,' called ‘What I Did for Love,' and Jim said that people always made the mistake of thinking it was a torch song,” said Cathy Newman, his wife who lives in Washington. “But he said what he did for love was run newspapers.”
James Edward Fain, known to most as Jim, died in Savannah at St. Joseph's Hospital, Sunday from complications following surgery. He was 91.
A private memorial service will be held at a later date. Rinehart and Sons Funeral Home, Jesup is in charge of the arrangements.
Mr. Fain was born in Norman Park, approximately 50 miles northwest of Valdosta. During his career he lived in Ohio, Texas and Washington, but never completely lost his Georgia-born drawl, Ms. Newman said, adding “he was a Georgia boy through and through.”
Mr. Fain earned a journalism degree from Emory University in 1941. He also served in the Army Air Corps during World War II and later joined the Air Force Reserves.
His career with Cox Newspapers began at The Atlanta Journal in 1949 and ended in 1991 when he retired from Cox News Service as a national correspondent and columnist. During his tenure with the company, he was the editor of the Dayton Daily News and the now-defunct Miami News, at the same time, said Howard Kleinberg, a former colleague and friend.
“It was a complicated thing,” Mr. Kleinberg said. “But he was shuttling back and forth between Dayton and Miami. And suddenly an opening occurred at the Atlanta Constitution, and somebody asked Jim Fain would he also like to be editor of the Atlanta Constitution. His answer was, ‘Why not? I have to change planes in Atlanta anyhow.’”
Though that scenario never came to be, no one doubted Mr. Fain’s ability to pull off such an assignment. “He was an amazing multi-tasker,” Mr. Kleinberg said.
In 1971, Jay Smith, who retired as president of Cox Newspapers in 2008, started his career at the Dayton Daily News, under Mr. Fain’s leadership.
Before going to Washington, Mr. Fain also served as the publisher of the Austin American-Statesman from 1976 to 1983, where he was succeeded by Mr. Smith.
“Jim was one of those people who knew what a good newspaper should be,” Mr. Smith said. “And it was his mission in life to produce great newspapers for the communities where he lived and worked.”
Mr. Fain is also survived by two sons, Judge Mike Fain of the Ohio 2nd District Court of Appeals and Jeb Fain of Connecticut; and three grandchildren.
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