Stephen Earl Fain

June 26, 1956 - July 22, 2021

             74 Year Book                                                                             Football Team 74

The Fain Family approx. 2010

Cheryl, Anthony, Sanora, Stephen 

https://www.facebook.com/stephen.fain.90     (other photos)

Letter from Steve Fain on Caring Bridge Website April 2021

https://www.caringbridge.org/public/stephenfain

STEPHEN'S JOURNEY

First post:Mar 29, 2021 Latest post:Apr 11, 2021

Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement.

Not excited about being back here after a very improbable cure of cancer in the late 1970’s following 2 years of surgeries, radiation, and chemotherapy including various clinical trials. During the subsequent 40+ years I have been richly blessed in so many ways, including a 30-year marriage to my beautiful bride Cheryl before her passing in 2012, fathering 2 beautiful children, and making new deep friendships and cherishing many going back almost 60 years! And more recently connecting with and sharing life and love with Carla, a beautiful and caring high school classmate.

So what brings us here this time? In late December my primary care doctor performed bloodwork as part of a routine wellness check and to check on how a recently started and common med for was performing. Everything looked good except for some elevated liver enzymes (ALP & AST), which had not been elevated in the same test in August 2020. Elevated levels of these indicated something nefarious was going on with my liver. Then, after a lot more bloodwork and an abdominal ultrasound and MRI, they found masses on my liver - one of them quite large. In February they performed a liver biopsy and found the masses are cancerous, but the liver is not the primary source of the cancer. That was bad news in that it indicated the cancer had spread (metastasized) from somewhere which takes the staging up to highest levels, but possible good news is that the origin/source of the cancer might respond to treatment better than if it was primary liver cancer.

After more testing and procedures to identify the origin of the cancer so we can discuss options going forward, last week these additional tests led to a >90% probability that the primary cancer is a cholangiocarcinoma, or bile duct cancer. It appears to have originated in the bile ducts going from my kidney. These ducts flow from the kidney area, to the gall bladder, and eventually to the small intestine. This is fairly uncommon type of cancer with pretty poor treatment results using conventional approaches.

I apologize for all the unreturned calls and messages. Communication has been a bit overwhelming and hopefully this site will allow for regular communications/updates amongst a lot of people and less stress/guilt on my part. And I am reminded daily how blessed I am to have so many amazing friends and loved ones. Thanks for visiting.

Stephen

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/sanantonio/name/stephen-fain-obituary?pid=199785837

https://www.dailytrib.com/2021/08/09/stephen-earl-fain-65-of-lone-grove-passed-away-july-22-2021/

Obituary

Stephen Earl Fain, 65, of Lone Grove, Texas, died Thursday, July 22, 2021, after a courageous battle with cancer. He was born on June 26, 1956, in Burnet, Texas, to Anna Beth and Edgar Fain. 

Stephen was a kind, caring, compassionate man who loved his family, his children, and his friends. His love and respect for nature was evident as he carried on the family tradition of beekeeping.

Stephen graduated from MacArthur High School in San Antonio and continued his education at the University of Texas-San Antonio, receiving his degree in geology and Master of Science in hydrogeology. Stephen was recognized as senior hydrogeologist and authored several technical papers. 

Stephen loved the Lord and was a founding member of the Church at Bee Cave in Austin. He was a giving soul and enjoyed helping others. He was instrumental in starting Partners in Hope, a nonprofit providing physical, emotional, and spiritual help to individuals in the Lake Travis area. 

Stephen used his education to give back through Living Water International. He organized and helped fund a group that traveled to Honduras and built a well to provide clean water to a rural village. Stephen and his children all participated in the project and dedicated the well in memory of Cheryl, his deceased wife. 

Stephen was a great guy, a sweet soul, a good friend, a jokester, and a story teller. He loved to make people laugh.

Stephen was preceded in death by his father, Edgar Fain; brother Randy Fain; sister Donna Orsag; and wife Cheryl Fain.

He is survived by his wife Carla Simmons Fain; mother, Anna Beth Fain; brother Richard Fain; son, Anthony; daughter, Sanora; grandson, Ryder; and Ryder’s father, Mario Gonzales. 

For those desiring to make a donation in Stephen’s memory, you may do so through Living Water International.

A graveside service is 1 p.m. Aug. 21 in Lone Grove at Board Branch Cemetery followed by a memorial celebration at the Lone Grove Community Center.

Funeral arrangements made under the direction of Waldrope-Hatfield-Hawthorne Funeral Homes Inc. of Llano. Condolences may be emailed to whhfuneral1@verizon.net.

https://www.dailytrib.com/2021/08/09/stephen-earl-fain-65-of-lone-grove-passed-away-july-22-2021/