Raymond L. Hinton Ii

Raymond L. Hinton II, age 93 of Osceola went to be with his Lord and Savior on December 13, 2021, at Wellbrooke Assisted Living Center in South Bend.  Ray was born August 23, 1928, in Akron, Ohio to the late Raymond L and Dorothy (Rinehart) Hinton.  After his graduation from Mishawaka High School, Ray enlisted in the Naval Reserves against his mother’s wishes. On February 27, 1948, he married the love of his life, Elaine Rhoade in Mishawaka.  They were happily married for 64 years before Elaine preceded him in death on August 19, 2013.

Surviving are seven children; Cheryl (Charlene Blaylock) Hinton of Bloomington, Indiana, Linda (R.G.) Trevino of Granger, Vicki (Timothy) Shobert of Osceola, Pamela K. (Tom) Gushwa of Osceola, Raymond (Kathleen) Hinton III of Osceola, Mark (Diana) Hinton of South Bend, and Tricia (Larry) Balcerzak of Osceola.  Surviving as well are 15 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren.  He was preceded in death by his brother Gerald Hinton.

Visitation will be held from 12-2 pm Saturday, December 18, 2021, at Cruz Family Funeral Home in Osceola with a short Celebration of his life to follow at 2:00 pm.

Ray began his career with Corlett Lumber Company as a truck driver and through his hard work and dedication, he was promoted to a position in sales.  His success in sales eventually allowed him to become the co-owner of Corlett Lumber.

He was a self-taught carpenter and built several new homes on Elm Road in Mishawaka in the evenings after working in his full-time position and on Saturdays.  In 1960, he moved his family to Granger and completely remodeled an old farmhouse on several acres of land.  The Hinton land was later subdivided into lots and Hinton’s Bittersweet Acres became home to many new families.  Ray later founded a subdivision he named New Granger Trails which is still home to many families in the area.

In his spare time, Ray was an avid hunter, and he shared his love of the outdoors with his children. He hunted big game out West for 30 years.  His last trip out West was with his daughter Cheryl where he bagged the biggest Elk in all of the years he had been hunting.   He was also a natural athlete and he played basketball at the YMCA in Mishawaka and South Bend well into his 70’s.  He also loved to play church league softball where he was known for his long homeruns.

Ray’s faith in the Lord also played a major role in his life.  He was a deacon, elder and teacher at Twin Branch Bible Church in Mishawaka for almost 50 years.  His love for the Lord and his faith in Him was shown to others through his kind and gentle spirit and fairness to others as a business owner.

Ray was proud of all of these accomplishments, but his greatest achievement was being a husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He always had a smile on his face and a hug for each and every one of his family.    Every time Ray was told “I love you Dad!” he would answer “Not as much as I love you…” He was a wonderful example of a husband and a father and the rock of the Hinton family.   He will be greatly missed, but there is a peace knowing he will celebrate Christmas in Heaven with his Savior and his wife whom he missed dearly.  “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.”

In Lieu of flowers, donations may be given in his memory to Traditions Hospice, 1820 E. Day Road, Mishawaka, IN 46545.  To light a virtual candle, share a story of Ray’s life, or leave a message of comfort for his family, please follow the links provided on the tribute wall tab above.