Robert Rinck

When reflecting on the life of Robert Rinck, it is so easy to see that he was not a man who was concerned about the things of this world, rather, he had his sights set on the things from above. He was a faith-filled and honorable man who loved his country, his family, and his Lord. Bob was completely devoted to his family and taught us that although loved ones may not always agree, family is held together by a lifetime of selfless love and heartfelt acts of kindness. The timeless legacy Bob leaves behind will be carried on through the lives of the younger generations of loved ones who made him so very proud.

The year 1929 is often remembered as the year that our nation and much of the world spiraled down into the depths of the Great Depression after the crash of the stock market in October of that year. It was just after that memorable day that a young couple from Grand Rapids, Michigan, was doubly blessed with the births of twin sons, including Robert James, on November 22nd. He was one of four children born to his parents, Gustave A. and Grace (Boerman) Rinck, and he was raised in the family home at 520 Ethel Street SE alongside his siblings, William, Grace, and his twin brother, Richard. Bob’s father worked as a grocer while his mother was a registered nurse.

In many ways Bob’s upbringing was fairly typical. He was raised in a Dutch, Lutheran, Democratic, and liberal environment with rich family ties. Bob and his siblings used to help pick fruits and vegetables for their father, and for fun family time they vacationed in nearby Holland. Their family often sang together around the piano, and Bob was blessed with a rich tenor voice. As a student Bob attended Baxter Christian School and later graduated from Grand Rapids Christian High in 1947. His education didn’t end there, however, as he went on to Calvin College and later received his degree in Russian studies from Syracuse University, which was paid for by the United States Air Force.

As a young man Bob joined the Navy, on September 21, 1949, but he made a switch to the Air Force just six months later. After being sent to Syracuse University for Russian studies in the early fifties, Bob was sent to Brooks Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, for basic training in November of 1952. From there he went on to Sacramento for pilot training, but the Air Force realized that he would be a huge asset as a navigator. In 1956 Bob was sent to North Dakota, and it was there that he met the woman of his dreams. Her name was Lillian Frisinger, and they met at a show on base. The couple was smitten with one another right from the start, and they met again later for coffee. At the time Lillian had been working at the Sweetheart Bread Company, and Bob always used to joke that he picked up his sweetheart at the Sweetheart Bread Company! After dating for two years, Bob married his true love at Minot Presbyterian Church in 1955. The newlyweds drove to Michigan to meet the rest of Bob’s family and then continued on to a honeymoon in California.

Now a young husband, Bob continued his work in the Air Force. He was first stationed in California for a time before being sent to Germany and adopting their son, Stuart. Bob’s duties then took them to Minnesota where they welcomed their daughter, Rebecca, into their hearts and home. Bob was then sent to Vietnam for 14 months where he trained South Vietnamese soldiers how to read radar to spot bogies and Russian aircraft. Soon after returning stateside, Bob moved his growing family to Maryland where he started his career with the NSA. Their family was then completed with the adoption of their twin girls, Julie and Jennifer. Bob was moved overseas one final time, to Cheltenham, England, for three years.

In the early 1970s Bob retired from the military as a lieutenant colonel, and the Rinck family lived in Cutlerville, Michigan, for a short time before settling in at their home on 42nd Avenue in Lamont. Robert did some consulting work and later worked for the “Back to God Hour. He was also the Tallmadge Township Supervisor after changing his affiliation from Democrat to Republican, and his final job was as the county commissioner for Ottawa County.

Throughout his life Bob’s faith and his family were of the utmost importance. There were family trips to Chicago, Silver Lake Sand Dunes, and Maine in addition to trips abroad to the Netherlands to see family and also to Germany and England to see old work friends and family. Bob and Lillian regularly had work friends come to stay with them as well. As a faithful member of Lamont Christian Reformed Church, Bob sang in the choir and volunteered in a number of other ministries and programs as well. The Rinck family was given a tough pill to swallow with Rebecca’s death after suffering an aneurysm on April 21, 1997.

In his free time, Robert kept busy with other interests. He had an insatiable thirst for reading anything and everything from the time he was a young boy, and he was also an avid coin and stamp collector. As an outdoorsman Bob enjoyed hunting, fishing, and gardening. Having traveled all over the world, he regularly wrote letters to friends across the globe. Anyone who knew Bob knew that he always had a cup of coffee within reach, and that he also had quite the sweet tooth, especially for butter pecan ice cream and Lilly's homemade apple pie.

Robert Rinck was loving and regimented, loyal and hardworking, and if the measure of a man is determined by the number of lives touched then he would have wealth beyond measure. Awarded with numerous awards and medals for his military service, he was a hero not only in the eyes of the military, but also in our hearts for his never-ending love. Bob will be dearly missed and warmly remembered.

RINCK – Robert James, age 83, passed away into the arms of the Lord on Sunday, September 8, 2013. He was born on November 22, 1929 in Grand Rapids, MI. and is survived by his beloved wife, Lillian; children, Stuart (Lynn), Julie (Brian) Siegel, Jennifer Rink; and grandchildren, Nicholas, Jonathan, Ryan, Sunny; twin brother, Richard (Suzanne) Rinck; and sister-in-law, Patricia Rinck. Robert attended Calvin College and then Syracuse University where he received his degree in Russian studies. He assisted South Vietnamese soldiers in developing a program to read Radar. He received numerous awards and medals for his efforts in the Air Force. He enjoyed living abroad with Lillian in Zweibrucken, Germany and later with his family in Cheltham, England while he was working with the NSA. After retiring from the military as a Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Air Force, he worked with the Back to God Hour Ministry and then at Tallmadge Twp as a supervisor. Robert ended his working career as a County Commissioner for Ottawa County. He loved the Lord, Family, and his work. He also enjoyed traveling, spending time with friends, reading, gardening, and taking long walks. Robert is preceded in death by his daughter, Rebecca; his brother, William; and sister, Grace Marie. He will be sorely missed by all those whose life he touched. May he rest in Peace and dwell in the house of the Lord, forever. The Funeral Service will be held at 11 AM on Thursday, September 12, 2013 at Lamont Community Church, 14000 48th Ave, Coopersville, MI. Friends are invited to greet the family on Wednesday from 2-4 and 6-8 PM at Heritage Life Story Funeral Homes, 851 Leonard St. NW. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory to Spectrum Health Hospice would be appreciated. To read more of Robert's lifestory, archive a memory, photo, or sign the guestbook please visit www.lifestorynet.com