Howard Wayne Rines

Howard Wayne Rines
February 19, 1942 – May 23, 2024
Howard Rines, 82, of Shoreview, passed away peacefully on May 23, 2024. Howard was born in Portland, Indiana on February 19, 1942, the son of Ray and Norene (Redford) Rines. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sisters, Frances Weesner and Annelle Stratton. He is survived by his wife Donna, daughter Debbie (Tom) Thornquist, sons David (Olga) and Ken (Kirstine Oh), and 11 beloved grandchildren.
Howard grew up on his family farm, where he developed a love for agriculture that turned into a career working to improve and understand crops. He received his Bachelors and Masters of Science degrees from Purdue University and a PhD in Genetics from Yale University. He then served in the US Army where he earned the rank of Captain while stationed at Ft. Detrick, Maryland. After 5 years as a Botany Professor at the University of Georgia, he and his family moved and settled in Shoreview in 1976, where he enjoyed a long and productive career as a Research Agronomist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service at the University of Minnesota St. Paul campus, where he also served as an Adjunct Professor. Focusing on oat genetics with an emphasis on cellular and molecular approaches to oat improvement, his research was foundational for the future of oat and crop genetics. However, one of his main sources of pride and inspiration was the numerous undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral students he mentored and advised. He authored and co-authored over 90 journal articles and book chapters, including a key paper in 2018 and contributions in 2023, long after his retirement in 2008. Students and colleagues regarded him as a smart, kind, hard-working soul who always had time to listen, help, and advise. His passion for his research was evident in everything he did.
When not at work, Howard loved spending time with family, as a supportive and loving father and husband, as well as traveling all over the country to see extended family and his sons' families as they moved across the country. He had a strong sense of service, volunteering at Centennial United Methodist Church, food shelves, Kiwanis, and helping others any way he could. He had a quiet sense of humor, a bright smile that lit up his eyes, and a great affection for his grandchildren that will leave an enduring legacy. He enjoyed strong friendships with colleagues and his church group, many overlapping, and offered anyone he met a kind smile and an ear. In his later years, we heard many times from caretakers how gracious and kind (and tall) he was, with a big smile of greeting to anyone who passed– all traits that helped make him memorable. He was an avid sports fan, especially Twins baseball, University of Minnesota basketball, and the youth sports in which his family played. He would attend theater performances, dance recitals, band concerts, choir concerts, and anything else his family was involved in, always wearing a proud grin as he supported everyone. He embodied humility, integrity, compassion, and love, and will forever be a role model and a guiding inspiration in the lives he touched.
Funeral services will be held on Thursday, June 13 at 11:00am at Centennial United Methodist Church in Roseville with a luncheon to follow. Visitation at 10:00am. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Centennial United Methodist Church in Roseville or the North Suburban Kiwanis Club in Roseville.
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