In 1926–1932, while living in New York City, the Paines became known for their apartment socials; one frequent social attendee, Mary Bancroft, wrote in her autobiography about her friend Ruth Forbes Paine's husband: "Lyman, ... was interested in what he termed 'The Ultimate Reality', which I interpreted as my old friend, 'Truth'. Lyman and I had endless discussions about this ultimate reality while sipping highballs of bathtub gin and ginger ale."[1] After having two sons, Michael Paine and Cameron Paine, the couple separated about 1932 and were divorced in 1934.
In the mid-1930s, while working for the New York City Housing Authority, Lyman became disillusioned with the utility of his work designing housing projects to produce social improvement, and he became active in Marxist politics. There he met Frances "Freddy" Drake (3/21/1912–5/3/1999), whom he married in 1939. Then in 1947, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Harvard College Class of 1922, Lyman wrote in their publication, the 25th Annual Report of the Harvard Class of 1922:
I came into contact with Marxism. The writings of Karl Marx, V.I. Lenin, Frederick Engels and Leon Trotsky opened new doors upon an old world. ... I became a follower of Leon Trotsky and a partisan of the world working class.[3]
George Lyman Paine Jr died on July 1, 1978, while living in the County of Los Angeles, California, at the age of 76, and his 2nd Wife, Frances 'Freddy' Drake Paine, died on May 3, 1999, also while living in California. Both, however, are buried on Sutton Island, Maine, where they had summered for many years.
Writings
Towards understanding Russia. I. Report of the British Quaker mission to Moscow, 1951. II. Objective thinking on communism 1952
Sutton Island, Maine: its houses, people, animals, weather 1963
