Obituary of George Ernest Hines

George Ernest Hines passed away suddenly on November 17, 2020. He was a devoted and loving husband, father, and grandfather and was a true blessing to his family and those who knew him.

George was born on September 30, 1952, in Belview, Minnesota, to Ernest and Amanda Hines. He attended school in Belview and helped farm his family’s land before graduating from St. Cloud State University in 1973. He married Diane, his wife of 47 years, shortly before entering service in the United States Air Force.

After his military service was up, George returned to Minnesota and joined the Duluth Air National Guard, where he stayed until 1984. He then re-entered civilian life and began work at Recon Optical CAI, a defense contractor, and the family moved to Illinois. Continuing his work in the Recce (reconnaissance) field, George traveled worldwide throughout his career and loved to tell stories about the exciting places he’d been.

His profession eventually brought the family to Arizona, where he was fond of the warmer climate and retired from work in 2012. In retirement, he enjoyed gardening, cooking, reading, fishing, hunting, telling stories, and caring for his granddaughter.

George is survived by his wife Diane; daughters Corrine (Dave Zarach) of Vail, AZ and Bonnie (John Doherty) of Chicago, Ill; Granddaughter Rosemarie Zarach of Vail, AZ; and siblings Garvin Hines of Belview, MN, Trudy (Dan Woltjer) of Vail, AZ, David (Brenda) Hines of Spicer, MN, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ernest and Amanda, and siblings Darrell Hines and Baby Boy Hines.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, memorial services will be put on hold and scheduled for a later date.

In place of gifts, donations can be made in George’s name to Disabled Veterans and The Humane Society.