Press Release: Obituary: Laine Rinker, Sr. Sept 20, 1933-Oct 29, 2014
He loved his church, his family, and golf
Contact: Larry Rinker / 407-810-7489 LarryRinkerGolf@gmail.com
Stuart, FL—Former flower farmer and golf instructor, Laine A. Rinker Sr., died at Treasure Coast Hospice in Stuart, FL yesterday, October 29, 2014, after a two year struggle with cancer. He was 81.
Laine was born in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, the second of three sons of a flower farmer. They would form F.O. Rinker and Sons and in 1952 they went to Stuart, Florida to grow chrysanthemums year round, along with the farm in Bloomsburg. Laine met his wife of 60 years, Pamela Cross, at the First Baptist Church of Stuart. They had four children, three of which played professional golf for a combined over 50 years on the PGA and LPGA Tours. Their first child, Laine Jr., didn’t play professional golf, but played in college, and is still a fine amateur player with a one handicap.
At one time there were over 30 growers in Martin County and the Rinkers were one of the firsts and had a very successful business both in Florida and Pennsylvania. At the age of 24 Laine took up the game of golf and fell in love with it, becoming chairman of the greens committee and club champion at Martin County Country Club where he introduced the game to all of his children. He figured it was an easy way to babysit the kids and play this game of golf that was now his passion.
The Rinker kids started to play junior tournaments around the state in the 1960’s and 1970’s and they all received golf scholarships for college. Laine Jr. won the Districts in the state high school tournament, Larry won the state Jaycees, Lee won the state amateur, and Laurie won the United States Junior in 1980. Larry would qualify for the Tour first in 1981 followed by Laurie in 1982, and Lee in 1984. After Laurie and Larry won the J.C. Penney Classic in 1985 Laine Sr. was awarded the “Golf Father of the Year,” Golfweek Magazine in 1986. The Rinkers were considered Florida’s first golf family. Laine Rinker, Sr. was a beloved teacher and admired by his students, and PGA Tour and LPGA players. Laine Sr. and his wife, Pam, traveled to hundreds and hundreds of tournaments to watch their children compete on their respective Tours. They would spend the whole week there and became friends with many people.
After family and golf Laine Sr. loved God and his church and became a Deacon and Sunday School Director at the First Baptist Church of Stuart, Florida. In 1972, Laine and Pam, along with four other couples, started the North Stuart Baptist Church with a pastor and his wife. The church, on U.S. 1 in North Stuart, just celebrated its 40th anniversary a couple of years ago.
In 1977 after a frost in Stuart, snow in Orlando and flowers starting to be shipped in from South America, Laine Rinker Sr. started focusing on real estate and closed the farm down. He became a successful real estate broker and put together the property where Vista del Lago sits in North Stuart.
Laine Sr. had an outstanding ability to make the best out of any situation and spent hours and hours studying the golf swing so that he could help his children with their games. He bought the latest high speed cameras and would put two projectors side by side to analyze his children’s swings against the Tour players. For the last 18 years Laine Sr. has focused on teaching golf in Sky Valley, Georgia in the summertime and in Stuart, Florida the other seven months of the year.
Laine Sr. is survived by his wife, Pamela, their four children and spouses, Laine and Kellii Rinker Jr. of LaQuinta, CA, Larry and Jan Rinker of Winter Park, FL, Lee and Molly Rinker of Jupiter, FL and Laurie and Rob Graham of Stuart, FL, and their ten grandchildren. The family asks that in lieu of flowers contributions be made in Laine Rinker, Sr.’s name to the charities of Treasure Coast Hospice of Martin County, 1201 SE Indian Street, Stuart, FL 34997 and the North Stuart Baptist Church of Stuart, FL, 1950 NW Federal Highway Stuart, FL 34994. A Celebration Service of Laine Rinker, Sr.’s life will be held at the North Stuart Baptist Church at 10:30 am Tuesday November 11th followed by a luncheon.