Obituary of Kenneth Rinard

EUGENE – Kenneth Wayne Rinard passed away at the age of 96 on July 18, 2023 at his assisted living facility in Eugene with family by his side.  He was born October 15, 1926 in Roseburg, Oregon and lived in both Boise, Idaho and Billings, Montana as he was growing up. 

Ken did his first year of college at Northwest Nazarene College in Nampa Idaho where he met the woman who would later become his first wife, Mary Alice Popejoy.  He served in the US Navy at the end of WW II from 1944-1946 after which he and Mary were married.  The couple spent a year in Fargo, North Dakota with her parents while Ken attended his second year of college at North Dakota State.  They then moved to Corvallis, Oregon where he studied for two years at Oregon State and graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1949.

A job with EWEB brought the couple to Eugene where Ken lived for the remainder of his life.  He worked for EWEB for 36 years where he was the Water Superintendent for many years and later was promoted to Director of Engineering.  He was also a faithful member of the Nazarene church, serving as Treasurer for over 50 years.  Ken and Mary had four children, Beverly, Wayne, Judy and Greg to whom Ken was a wonderful father.  He loved the outdoors and often took the family camping, picnicking on the McKenzie, tobogganing and skiing or to the beach.  He was also a lover of cars and among his many projects restored an old Bentley sedan to pristine condition. Mary passed away in 1979 and Ken married Darlene Straum Jones in 1983.  They were happily married until Darlene’s death in 2022.

Ken is survived and will be missed by three of his four children, Beverly Clinton (Dan), Judy Spencer (John), Greg Rinard (Lori), nine grandchildren, 26 great grandchildren and three step children, Cindy Dodson, Max Jones, and Barb Griggs.

The family would like to thank the staffs at The Springs at Greer Gardens and Brighton Hospice for the loving care they provided our dad.

A memorial service will be held August 19, 2023 at 2:00 pm at City First Church at 830 Madison St., Eugene, OR 97402.  In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to City First Church in Ken’s honor.

Ken will be interned at Lane Memorial Gardens with arrangements entrusted to Lane Memorial Funeral Home and you are invited to sign the guestbook at Musgroves.com.