Obituary of Bill Rines

RINES, William Albert “Bill”, aged 91, passed away on March 28, 2024, at the QEII Health Sciences Centre (Halifax Infirmary) after an incident earlier this week. Born on June 15, 1932, to the late John and Nina (Leighton) Rines, Bill was the 11th of 14 children. He was a lifelong resident of Riverside Corner, raising a large family of his own within sight of his birthplace. Bill, Willie, Dad, Grandad, Grampie, Papa – whatever name you knew him by, he was one of the most welcoming men you would ever meet. No one was a stranger in his home, at least not for long. “Pull up a chair. What are you having to drink?” were the first two sentences spoken when a new person came through the door. Many passersby who mistook the large, paved driveway and detached garage for a service station ended up making a new friend AND getting that tire repaired. Nine children were raised in the home with many of their friends feeling that it was their second home. Back in the day, wrestling matches in the huge kitchen were Saturday afternoon staples, timed to occur immediately after Atlantic Grand Prix Wresting was viewed on Channel 5. To his last days, Bill would insist that wrestling is REAL, and he could often be found on the arm of the couch, inches from the TV, watching his favourite “sport”, yelling at the bad guys. An entrepreneur before it was trendy, Bill owned his own trucking company in the 60’s and early 70’s, employing his underaged sons as drivers. Bill came from the generation that valued a good work ethic – something that he demonstrated as he provided for his large family and strived to instill in each of the generations thereafter. Starting the boys off working for him was just being a good Dad – the legalities didn’t matter. The remainder of his working career was spent in the construction, concrete, and trucking industries with various companies. Aside from hard working Bill, there was also a playful Bill who enjoyed a good time with family and friends. Deer hunting was a favourite sport, partly from necessity, but later more for bragging rights and no one made better mincemeat than Bill. In the last 15 years he had become quite a boxing fan, as the Kennetcook Kid is the son of his dearest friends, Dan & Angela. He even acted as a sparring partner, until he forgot to duck. A house full of company was his greatest pleasure – he especially loved seeing the subsequent generations come to visit and the little ones could always count on him for a sweet treat, as he had quite the sweet tooth himself. Bill liked his rum and whiskey mixed with water, was a shrewd card player (knowing your plays before you did), was well versed in politics, often asking if you knew where to mark your X on election day (ALWAYS Tory blue, even when he didn’t agree with them). He loved his feline companions and Nuggie will be lost without him. Over the course of 91 years, Bill touched a lot of lives and made an impression on just about everyone he met. No two people would have the same recollection – some would remember his kindness, his generosity, his patience/impatience (depends on the day), his stubbornness, his work ethic, that silly grin, or his charming ways, but all would agree, he was a wonderful human who will be missed by a great many people. Bill is survived by sons Merlin (Debbie), Dave, Ronnie, Randall and daughters Gale Burgess and Helen Barron (Ron Brake), 14 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren, a great great granddaughter, and sisters Eveline Whitehead, Marion Rines, Minnie Green, and Annie (Zane) Hennigar. Besides his parents, he is predeceased by his wife Velma, daughter Joan, sons Wayne and Doug, grandson Jason, and nine siblings. Cremation has taken place, and a visitation will be held Friday April 5, 2024, from 6-8 pm and a memorial service Saturday, April 6, 2024, at 2 pm both in the J. Wilson Allen Funeral Home 6571 hwy 354, kennetcook, Pastor Daryl Dykens officiating, with a private family burial in the Kennetcook Cemetery. Kennetcook, followed by a reception in the Kennetcook Fire Hall, Kennetcook. Donations in memory can be made to the West Gore Fire Dept, 1020 Hwy 202, Upper Rawdon NS B0N 2N0. Arrangements have been entrusted to the compassionate care of the J. Wilson Allen Funeral Home Hwy 354 Kennetcook, N.S. phone 1-902-362-2440 or please visit our web site at www.allenfh.ca to sign the guest book or send private condolences.