JAMES KEY RINDFLEISCH

1949 - 2016

NEWPORT NEWS - James Key Rindfleisch, 66, passed from this world after a short and intense experience with cancer on Monday, July 11, 2016. Jim was born in Richmond on July 18, 1949 and lived most of his life in Newport News. His life may have been too short but it was always filled with adventure as he moved from one fascination to another. Jim attended Riverside Elementary and Ferguson High School while growing up in Hilton and Hidenwood, so his face was familiar to many. He left Ferguson for Hargrave Military Academy. When the draft came during the Vietnam War, he joined the Navy as his father before him. He was sent to Morocco, where he worked in radio and electronics, and found time to help out at a leper colony; often riding there on a horse he loved. After his military discharge, he attended East Carolina University, where he studied photography and bought a Porsche. He transferred to Christopher Newport College to study Biology and this is where he and his Porsche attracted his future wife, Debbie, who was in the same field of study. He had some exceptional teachers, who became lifelong friends. Once Jim graduated, he joined the Peace Corps. He used his background in entomology to help set up beekeeping cooperatives in the East Caribbean Islands. It wasn't long before Debbie followed him to the ends of the earth. They worked with government officials and Peace Corps volunteers to set up honey bee programs in Barbados, Dominica, St. Lucia, Montserrat and other places. It was a fascinating 18 months, especially for two avid biologists. He and Debbie married on Aug. 8, 1981. They lived happily with their two pet monkeys, Darwin and Emma. They bought an old farmhouse in the Deep Creek section of NN right before Emma had baby Linnaeus. Jim went to work for York County Mosquito Control as the biologist and held that position for 30 years. He created many programs for natural mosquito control that were years ahead of their time, such as building a fishery and raising Gambusia mosquito fish to be used to control mosquito larvae in ditches and overflows. He worked closely with the Air Force as part of his job. Jim created large pieces of artwork. At the Virginia Living Museum lives his Recyclo Mosquito made from trash. He built the replica of the Betsy that sits in front of the Waterman's Museum in Yorktown and the giant mosquito sculpture that graces the entrance to York County Mosquito Control offices, which still gets decorated for Christmas every year. In his spare time, Jim managed to become the caretaker of the 1950s steamship SS United States while it was docked in Norfolk and Newport News. He enjoyed many hours exploring the enormous ship and accumulated a great deal of knowledge, not just about the ship and its workings but about the day to day life of passengers and crew on the voyages. He made many good friends who were also fascinated with the ship and rode it out to the bay when it was finally moved to Russia. He has maintained contact with the people involved with the old ship, such as the SS United States Preservation Society. He recently got back to work on writing a book about the ship; not just a story but a complete tome of knowledge. After the ship was out of the picture, Jim got bored. He and Debbie bought 20 acres in Bath County in the mountains of Virginia. They built a small cabin, planning and building it themselves. He had been at that cabin every two weeks for the past 16 years, weather permitting. The cabin is completely off-grid, with no electricity (except a couple of solar panels), no phone service or running water. It was a piece of heaven; a beautiful escape in the wild forest when the city got to be too much. It was a true retreat. He recently visited the cabin and declared it was the best sick room on the face of the earth. He made many good friends on that mountain. Jim retired from York County in 2011 and thoroughly enjoyed his life up until these last two months. He leaves behind his heartbroken wife, Debbie, who will miss her best friend of 38 years for the rest of her life. They had no children but always had plenty of beloved pets around the house. During his illness, we discovered the best nurses in the world at Riverside Oncology. They went above and beyond in Jim's care, keeping him comfortable up to his last moments. They did everything they could for his family during tense weeks in the hospital. He never had any pain and passed away peacefully in his sleep. Survivors include a large and loving family; wife, Debbie; sister-in-law, Beverly Blanchard and her husband, Ray; their daughter, Jennifer and her husband, Mun Wei, and their daughter, Alissa; daughter, Kelly and her husband, Chris, and their twins, Henry and Lizzy. Jim also leaves behind his sister-in-law, Cynthia Allen and her two sons, Jay and Bryan. Jim's mother-in-law, Betty Fisher, had become one of his best friends over the last few years. He was always very fond of his step-mother-in-law, Lily Fisher; her daughter, Carolynn and husband, Shawn, and her son, Tony and wife, Carla. He also leaves his mother, Nelly Thompson; her husband, Bill Thompson; his step-brothers, Tommy and David; cousins, Janet and Ann; and his dear Aunt Kitty. Jim's rescue cat will also miss his presence very much. A Memorial Service in Celebration of Jim's Life will be held on Saturday, July 16 at 2 PM at Weymouth Funeral Home, 12746 Nettles Drive in Newport News. The family will receive friends following the service. Donations are always welcome to the American Cancer Society, and volunteers are always needed at the Riverside Cancer Institute. There is so much progress being made with cancer now. It was too late to help keep our family together, but there is always hope for others who will face this terrible disease in the future. Arrangements by Weymouth Funeral Home.