John Rhein

John Rhein

1934 – 2018

John Rhein, age 83, of Lumberton, TX, passed away on November 20, 2018. He was born on December 16, 1934 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and raised by his parents, John and Georgina James.

John was a good man, and his family knew this most. For them, he was an inspiration to do their best and accomplish what they dreamt of. John always worried about his family more than himself, and he would encourage them to “have patience” for things they wanted in life. As a young lifeguard, John first saw the love of his life, Rosemary; stating “I’m gonna marry her” and, on February 26, 1955, he did exactly that. For 5o years, until her death in 2005, Rosemary was his “Honey” and he was her “Babe”. Proudly serving in the United States Air Force for 16 years and later in the Army Reserves, he and his family moved to many places, from Morocco to Germany and across the United States. Much of John’s free time was spent woodworking, and his passion for it was easily seen in his many productions. He never sold any projects, saying that you “can’t put a price on it”. Every piece was his own expression of unique creativity that he poured his heart into; from airplanes to ships, he even created a special hope chest for his daughter, Gina. He loved to hunt and fish, with one of his greatest trophies being a 13-point deer. “Grandpa” or “GP” to his grandchildren, John’s quirkiness made him unique, his stubbornness made him strong and his heart for others, especially his family, made him wonderful.

Left to honor his memory are daughters, Cheryl Edmonson and husband, James, of Smyrna, TN, Virginia “Ginger” Morrison and husband, Billy, of Jettersville, VA and Gina Peters of Lumberton, TX; son, John Rhein Jr. and wife, Vivian, of Kaufman, TX; 17 grandchildren; many great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.

Preceding John in death were his sweetheart, Rosemary; his parents; and son, Michael “Mike” Rhein.

In lieu of flowers, John’s family ask that donations be made to The Humane Society of Southeast Texas, PO BOX 1629, Beaumont, TX 77704. Services honoring John’s life are not scheduled at this time.

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