Charles Austin Gaines

Tucson, AZ - Rev. Charles A. Gaines passed away peacefully at home on Saturday, July 4, 2026, with his wife Carolyn and daughter Susan by his side. He was the son of Donald A. Gaines and Ida H. Gaines (Siefen).

Mr. Gaines was born in Detroit, MI on January 25, 1936. One of his earliest memories was watching the new cars roll off the Ford assembly line. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Tufts College in 1958 and a Master of Divinity degree from Crane Theological School, Tufts University, in 1961.

While at Crane, he was employed as Director of Religious Education at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Lawrence, MA. His supervising minister was the Rev. Kenneth C. Hawkes. While there, he met Carolyn Hawkes, and they married on June 6, 1959. Mr. Gaines was ordained at the First Universalist Church in Hardwick, MA on April 23, 1961 and was the last minister to be ordained as a Universalist before the merger that created the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). In 1963 he was called to the First Unitarian Church in Milford, NH and was its first full-time minister in eighteen years. While there, he participated in the March from Selma in 1965.

Mr. Gaines was called to the First Parish in Framingham, MA in 1967 where he served for seventeen years. While in Framingham, he participated in the March for Women's Rights in New York City in 1969. He was elected Minister Emeritus in 1996.

During his time at the First Parish, Mr. Gaines was also active in serving the UUA. He was appointed to the Ministerial Fellowship Committee in 1972 and served on it for nine years, the last four as Chair. He also participated in the UUA's Minister on Loan Program whereby a settled minister was sent to a fellowship for six weeks in order to provide ministerial leadership. Mr. Gaines served congregations in Corpus Christi and Ft. Worth, TX, Las Cruces, NM, and Vancouver, WA. In 1975, the loan program in Las Cruces coincided with his sabbatical and his family spent 6 months living and studying there.

In 1984, Mr. Gaines joined the staff at the UUA headquarters in Boston as Ministerial Settlement Director responsible for assisting congregations in finding a new minister. In 1988 he received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Meadville/Lombard Theological School at the University of Chicago. In 1990 he became Director of Extension and was responsible for church growth through its extension and new congregation ministry programs. He delivered consulting workshops on growth in Prague, Czech Republic and other locations in Europe including Great

Britain, Denmark and Germany. In 1994 he was invited to deliver the Flower Communion Service sermon at Unitaria in Prague. During his tenure, the UUA experienced the highest percentage growth in membership in its history.

Mr. Gaines was called to the First Parish in Groton, MA in 1996. During the next four years, the congregation became one of the fastest growing mid-sized Unitarian Universalist congregations. In 2018 he received the Distinguished Service Award from the UUA. After over 40 years of active ministry, he retired and in 2004, Charles and Carolyn moved to Oro Valley, AZ where he developed social and professional relationships with local ministers.

Mr. Gaines was a leader and a mentor to many churches and individuals around the world during his long career in ministry having visited over one hundred and fifty congregations in North America and abroad. He will be remembered fondly by his many friends and colleagues.

He is survived by his wife, Carolyn Hawkes Gaines, and three children: Lynda Gaines, of North Kingstown, RI; Stephen Gaines, of Denton, MD; and Susan Gaines Duncan (Jim), of Tucson, AZ. He is also survived by his half-brothers and sisters Cindy Krusen, Peter Gaines, Tom Gaines, Melanie Anderson, and Martha Davis, as well as six grandchildren (Quinn, Charlie, Corey, Gwen, Bennett, and Juliette), two step-grandchildren (Michael and Bill), and six great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by half-sister Pam Fogarty, sister Karen Barker, and brother Donald Gaines.

A Memorial Service will be held at the First Parish in Framingham, MA in October. Gifts in his memory may be sent to the Memorial Fund, First Parish in Framingham, 24 Vernon St, Framingham, MA 01701 or the Memorial Fund, Unitarian Universalist Church, 4831 E 22nd St, Tucson, AZ 85711.