Rodney Cain, best known as ‘Biz,’ dies at 78; farmer, businessman, banker, family man — and Papaw

By Judy Clabes
NKyTribune editor

Rodney Cain, 78, a prominent Northern Kentucky businessman and community leader, died Thursday morning, surrounded by his family. His health had been declining for some time due to Alzheimer’s. He was born November 17, 1938 in Independence.

If that name isn’t familiar, you probably remember him as ‘Biz,’ the friendly guy with a great sense of humor and down-home, quirky quips his friends knew as “Biz-isms.” (“If you aren’t the hammer, you’re the nail”. . . and so on).

Biz and Jackie — a familiar scene.

He was one of the generation of movers-and-shakers in Northern Kentucky who grew up here, had deep roots, became successful — and never forgot where they came from. To begin to name them here would mean leaving someone out. But as a group they gave back in many ways during what was clearly a Renaissance period in Northern Kentucky. During a time of extraordinary growth and development, they built wealth as they built a region that came to be known as the third leg of the Golden Triangle — and they were determined to change its image as well.

Mission accomplished, Biz.

Biz Cain’s legacy is prototypical of that era. He grew up in Kenton County, graduated from Simon Kenton High School and the University of Kentucky. He bled blue.

He married Jacqueline Malone of Smith’s Grove in 1963. They lived on the farm where he was raised, Caintuckee Acres in Independence — a place where people were always welcome and where their once-annual pig roast was a festive and well-attended event that introduced a lot of city folks to the best advantages of farm life. Horseback rides included.

Jackie, a popular Kenton County High School Spanish teacher, shared his passion for their homeplace. She was well-known for the summer excursions to Europe for her students and others, so they could put their language skills to practice. She and Biz had a vacation home in Mexico, and Biz had to learn some Spanish too.

She held his hand at his death bed, surrounded by their three sons, Charlie, John and David, their wives and their grandchildren.

Biz and Jackie with the official portrait of The Bank of Kentucky founders.

“The world will just never be the same,” son David Cain wrote in a Facebook post. “My father (fought) a very, very long fight with a terrible illness. I know he touched many lives and many share in the sadness.”

Biz wore many hats — businessman, farmer, entrepreneur, banker, community leader, friend, family man and more. But, truly, his favorite was the one he played to the fullest in his later life: Papaw.

Biz worked in the agricultural chemical industry until the 1970s when he founded Wiseway, a building supplies business based in Kenton County. He retired from Wiseway in the early 1990s. Son John runs it today.

He was chairman of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce in 1988, counted among those who built a strong regional chamber; was a leader in the Home Builders Association of Northern Kentucky, the Tri-County Economic Development Corporation and the Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau. He received many community accolades, including the Lincoln Award from NKU.

He served as a director of Boone State Bank in the 1970s and remained on the board after Fifth-Third Bank purchased it, until 1998.

He was a close friend of another legendary Northern Kentuckian, R.C. Durr. Together they partnered to start The Bank of Kentucky, securing the first new bank charter in many years in Northern Kentucky and recruiting top local banker Robert Zapp as president.

Attorney Will Ziegler, also a close friend of the group, recalls that Biz always got right to the crux of matters.

“I remember, when forming The Bank of Kentucky which initially involved Biz, R. C. Durr, Bob Zapp, myself and two others, Biz quickly resolved the issues,” said Ziegler.

“Biz said, ‘Will, you be the lawyer, and the other five of us will be the Board of Directors. . .’ And so, The Bank of Kentucky was organized.”

The straight-forward approach worked for the team as they worked magic, growing The Bank to the largest community bank in the region with 32 branches and assets of $1.9 billon. Biz continued as chair of the board until 2012, as his health started to decline.

A more recent photo of Biz in his favorite role — as Papaw.

Robert Zapp described Biz at the time as the “heart and soul” of The Bank.

The bank was sold in 2015.

“Biz Cain partnered with two other great men, R.C. Durr and Bob Zapp to build The Bank of Boone County (later named Bank of Kentucky) with an initial focus on Boone County and later all of Northern Kentucky,” said retired banker Mer Grayson, another legendary NKY leader. “They created the most important Bank in the history of Northern Kentucky.

“The Bank of Kentucky helped individuals and businesses grow plus provided significant charitable support ranging from universities to hospitals and the numerous nonprofits that make Northern Kentucky special.

“Biz will be missed. He will not be forgotten.”

Biz tried his hand at politics, with what he would describe as “mixed results.” Connected to the political scene as a contributor to Democrat candidates, he first ran for office himself in 1994 against a relatively unknown Republican for a seat in the Kentucky senate. He lost to Gex “Jay” Williams.

In 1996, Gov. Paul Patton appointed him as secretary of workforce development where he was at the forefront of the move to combine state technical schools with the University of Kentucky system of community colleges. In 1998, Patton appointed him to complete the term of Kenton County Republican Judge-Executive Clyde Middleton.

He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Caroline Cain, brother, Ralph, and sister-in-law, Jennifer Porro. In addition to his sons and grandchildren, Biz is survived by his sisters, Bette and her husband Dr. Joseph Bravo and Jackie and her husband Kent Brasseale.

He is survived by his wife, Jackie, sons John Cain (Carla), Charlie Cain (Angie) and David Cain. He was a doting grandfather of Addison, Hannah, Caroline, Mary Jacqueline, Ryan, Jack, Aly, Dillon, and Elizabeth Cain, and a caring uncle to many nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be Tuesday, Dec. 6 from 4-8 p.m. and funeral Wednesday, Dec. 7 at noon, at Chamber and Grubbs Funeral Home in Independence.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorials may be made to the University of Kentucky Alzheimer’s Disease Center at the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging at 101 Sanders-Brown Building, 800 S. Limestone Street, Lexington KY 40536 or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) at 8050 Hosbrook Rd #314, Cincinnati, OH 45236.

The Cains with their nine grandchildren, at their home in Mexico in 2009. (Photo thanks to Hannah Cain)