Melvin L. Rinehart, 60, died unexpectedly Wednesday from a heart ailment in Valley City, North Dakota.
A time of remembrance and celebration will be held Friday, January 24th from 3 to 7 p.m. at Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service, Iowa City. Military Honors and Flag Presentation by the Solon American Legion Post #460 will be conducted at 7 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the Melvin Rinehart Memorial Fund has been established.
Melvin was born August 9, 1953 in Iowa City, the son of Lloyd and Margaret Burdick Rinehart. He was a graduate of City High School and received an associates degree from Kirkwood Community College. He served in the U.S. Army from 1972-1978, achieving the rank of Sargent. On July 16, 1988, Melvin married Diane Huffman. They were together for 29 years and had just celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.
Melvin was an Engineer with Centro Inc. for 25 years. He was a gifted engineer, a master mechanic who could visualize, design and build anything. He had a way of looking at something and figuring out how to make it better. He loved making things go fast and could fix anything. He was affectionately known as Dr. Horsepower and Mr. Poo.
Melvin enjoyed time spent on his snowmobile, his motorcycles or his ATV. He was a tireless supporter of snowmobiling in Iowa and volunteered many hours educating about snowmobiling, also preparing, grooming, and repairing snowmobile trails. His memberships included the Solon American Legion and the Legion Riders, the Iowa State Snowmobile Association, Iowa Snow Drifters, Eastern Iowa Sledheads, and Cedar Valley Winter Warriors snowmobile clubs, he was a life-long member of ABATE and the NRA.
Melvin is survived by his wife, Diane; his beloved dog, Tucker; his mother, Margaret Morgan of Coralville; his brother, Chuck Rinehart of Iowa City; his aunt, Barbara Evans; and cousins, Steve, Lori and Bob in California; brothers and sisters-in-law, Nancy Harper, Eddie (Julia) Huffman, Jackie Huffman, Letha (Bruce) Voight, all of North Liberty, Norma (John) Waters of Cedar Rapids, and Robert (Tracey) Huffman of Pennsylvania; nephews, Jake and Sam Harper, Jackson and Christopher Waters, Quinnton and Daulton Huffman; and nieces, Lizzie Kostow and Abby Huffman, Nicole and Kelly Waters. As well as special friends -- Mike (Doc) Berry, Jeff Alberhasky, Shawn Harper, Dwayne Uitermark, Two-Dogs, Bill Albertson, Willie (Haywood) Buster, Derrick Parker, and many others.
He was preceded in death by his father Lloyd Rinehart, his step-father Owen Morgan, and in-laws Edward and Louise Huffman.
Melvin would want you to gather, tell stories and raise a cold one in his honor.
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