David William Frain

It is with deep sorrow and much love that we mourn the loss of David William Frain on October 1, 2021 at the age of 55 years. David passed peacefully in the loving presence of his fiancée and his sister after stating it was his time to be with the Lord. David was the devoted son of the late William F. and Nancy H. (O’Shea) Frain. David attended the Berklee College of Music after graduating Holyoke Catholic High School and taking classes at Holyoke Community College.

David first picked up a guitar at the age of 14 and learned to play with the help of a good friend. From that moment he felt a shift in his life and he became an extremely talented, yet very humble, world class guitarist and musician. Dave taught guitar lessons to many students over the years and found joy in teaching his skills to others. David owned and operated Zing Recording Studio in Westfield MA. His clients included All that Remains, A Day to Remember, Killswitch Engage, Parkway Drive and Under Oath. Dave had also been a general partner in Simmer Music. Throughout his career as a musician, he played Jazz with Intertrip and with the Frain Dunlap Jazz Trip. He played Rockabilly with the band Tweed Sneakers, and was part of many other bands including Scratch, Chaos Theory, and Sugarbones. The lifelong friendships, connections, and experiences he made ripple across the country.

Just as, if not more, important to David was his path on his spiritual life. During his illness he used his faith to see him through intense times of pain and uncertainty. He never doubted Jesus’ love for him. David has written many meaningful and technically intricate spiritual songs in his quest to make music that is to serve God. He wanted his music to reflect “The Good, The Beautiful, and The True.”

David’s passion for the outdoors took him many places. His adventures included hiking all of the northern Presidential Range in New Hampshire, 23 miles in one day over Mt. Madison, Mt. Adams, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Clay, and Mt. Washington. He rode mountain bikes in Crested Butte Colorado, Slickrock in Moab Utah, the Flume Trail in Tahoe overlooking the lake, the Sandstone Cliffs in Sedona Arizona, and up over 12,000 feet in the Sangre De Cristo Mountains in New Mexico. Dave also loved to fish and traveled to Jackson Hole Wyoming with his Dad and his brother and had amazing excursions. As much as he liked to travel, he always told his fiancée Carol that his favorite place to be was home in Massachusetts, where he liked to hike Bear Hole Reservoir, the Hubbard River, and Skinner Mountain, to go on solo bike rides through Hawley State Forest and the Mt. Tom Range, and to fish the local honey holes and reservoirs. Dave loved to discover all of the beauty of nature.

David touched many lives with his music, his spirit and his sense of adventure. He will be missed by so many, but most deeply by his sweet fiancée, Carol Mickiewicz; his brilliant step-daughter, Taylor Burroughs; his little brother, Michael Frain; his loving sister and brother-in-law, Kerry (Frain) and Peter Normandin; his beloved niece, Nicole Normandin; his look-a-like nephew, Mason Normandin; all his cousins who are more like siblings; his beautiful aunts and uncles; his multitude of close friends from all aspects of his well lived life, and his favorite little furry pal, Dixie.

Calling hours will be held at the Barry J. Farrell Funeral Home, 2049 Northampton Street, Holyoke, on Friday, October 15, 2021 from 9am to 11am, with a Prayer Service immediately following from 11am to 12 noon. Burial will be held privately at the family’s convenience. David was passionate about supporting small local organic farms that feed those in need, as well as biblical websites such as Thru the Bible (ttb.org), so please consider these causes if choosing to donate in his memory.

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