Where Food, Drinks & Stories Are Shared
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Dan H. Rineveld

January 27, 1949 - September 23, 2022
Kalamazoo, MI

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Life Story Visitation

Wednesday, September 28, 2022
5:00 PM to 7:00 PM EDT
Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes
Kalamazoo Location
6080 Stadium Drive
Kalamazoo, MI 49009
(269) 375-2900

Food, Drinks and Stories will be shared.

Driving Directions

Life Story Services

Thursday, September 29, 2022
11:00 AM EDT
Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes
Kalamazoo Location
6080 Stadium Drive
Kalamazoo, MI 49009
(269) 375-2900
Driving Directions

Graveside Services

Friday, September 30, 2022
2:30 PM EDT
Portage South Cemetery

Contributions


At the family's request memorial contributions are to be made to those listed below. Please forward payment directly to the memorial of your choice.

Kalamazoo Air Zoo
6151 Portage Road
Portage, MI 49002
Web Site

Flowers


Below is the contact information for a florist recommended by the funeral home.

VanderSalm's Flower Shop
1120 S Burdick St
Kalamazoo, MI 49001
(269) 343-2671
Web Site

Polderman's Florist & Garden Center
8710 Portage Road
Portage, MI 49002
(269) 327-3656
Driving Directions

Life Story / Obituary


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Dan H. Rineveld showered his family with unwavering strength, unconditional love, and the gift of his time. He worked incredibly hard and served others in every way he could. Nothing brought Dan greater joy than spending time with his loved ones, especially his daughters and son, in the simplest of moments. He will forever be remembered by his easy-going nature and contagious laughter, which was at its purest and loudest with his brother, Bill. They could get the whole room going, even if no one else understood what they were laughing about.

With the end of WWII in 1945, there was great promise and happiness ahead for the Rineveld family. Dan W. was returning home from flying B-26 Bombers in the USAAF to greet his sweetheart, Elizabeth “Betty” Brown Rineveld, who worked at the Port of Los Angeles as a Typist supporting the war effort. The young couple honeymooned from Michigan to California and back in their vehicle, Prudence, visiting family members all along the way. The young couple eagerly anticipated their blessed arrival of Dan H. on January 27th, 1949, as the oldest of the Rineveld children.

Growing up, Dan was an outstanding young man representative of his generation. He was raised in the small family home prior to moving to a larger family home alongside his parents, two younger siblings, William and Robin, cousin Susie, and grandmother Eva “Marie” Brown. Throughout his childhood, he was very friendly and loved to play with the other children until the neighborhood bully pooped in his sandbox. The young Dan was mechanically inclined and promptly disassembled the bully’s tricycle. Though Dan lost both his grandfathers by the tender age of 5, he was forever influenced to be the best mentor and role model to young people throughout his days, beginning as a Weeblo in Boy Scouts of America. Dan’s father supported the family by working for Durametalic and retiring as a Major in the USAAF. Dan’s mother worked as a clerk, at Eckrich as a meat packer, and at the local jewelry store. Though it was difficult to make ends meet, Dan never lacked for anything in the way of family or love and he never let us forget it!

Dan was proud to live in Kalamazoo and received his education here. He attended Loy Norrix High School, where he worked as a busboy in Shenschel’s Cafeteria, sang in the Glee Club, and played guitar in several local bands. Following his graduation from high school in 1967, Dan went on to put himself through college at Western Michigan University by working as a Maintenance Supervisor at Durametalic alongside his father. He graduated in 1972 with a degree in chemistry. In 1985, Dan received a second bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical and Medical Sales from Nazareth College all while supporting his own growing family.

Dan was never afraid to work hard in order to support himself and his loved ones. He began working at Upjohn in 1972, and stayed throughout the Pharmacia and Pfizer transitions, proudly retiring after 36 years of devoted service. Dan started as a custodian prior to working as Lab Analyst and Manufacturing Manager, growing his skills in many fields. His final role was as a GMP/ISO Compliance Specialist, where he enjoyed company travel and building his professional network, who thereafter became his dear friends. Dan’s strong work ethic never failed to serve him well, and he would go on to pass that same work ethic to his children.

All who knew Dan can surely agree that, of all the things he loved in life, his family was above all else. He married Valerie Davis on July 21, 1973. Dan and Valerie would go on to welcome their three beloved children, Dan “Matt,” Wendy, and Marie into their hearts and home. Though their marriage ended in divorce after 25 years, Dan was always grateful for their ability to maintain a friendship, and they continued to raise their children as committed parents. He truly thrived in his role as father and did his best to raise his children into playful, loving, and generous community citizens. They would play Atari together, go on picnics, bowling, take camping trips in the Avion trailer, visit Cedar Point, and especially watch the planes take off and land at the Kalamazoo airport while eating Bill Knapp’s chocolate cake.

Over the years Dan was a very involved member of his children’s prized activities. He was a proud Band Dad for Matt and Marie. He served as a Scoutmaster of Troop 243 for 28 years. His greatest adventures with his troop were to Alaska, Maine, and the Philmont Scout Ranch. He was never prouder than the day he pinned the Eagle Scout Medal on his son. Dan loved spending time with Wendy, who was a passionate babysitter. He loved laughing and having a good time with them on their adventures to the zoo, park, or movie theater. He proudly served as the Voice of the Portage Central Soccer Team for four years where he celebrated proudly with his daughter, Marie, when they won the Michigan State Championship.

Dan pursued many hobbies to stay busy in his free time. Most dear was his fascination with airplanes, piloting his own Cessna 210 and Piper Colt. He loved flying out to breakfast with his friends, going to the Oshkosh Air Show for 28 years, and visiting aviation museums. When Dan wasn’t in a plane, he loved working on and showing his ’62 Corvette, especially as a member of the Upjohn Corvette Club. Dan’s passion for cars morphed into a love of motorcycles over the last 20 years. Dan owned multiple types of bikes from V-Rods to Trikes, making countless friends at Perry’s Harley Davidson and traveling to Daytona Bike Week. Dan loved to cook for his children, especially steaks and asparagus on the grill, or whip up a batch of SOS/chipped beef on toast or crabmeat spaghetti. Later in life, he also took great pleasure in going out to eat, especially at Bucky’s for breakfast and Los Amigos for lunch. Dan loved playing and listening to music, singing as a tenor in the choir at Portage First United Methodist Church. He was an avid record enthusiast and took in the greatest concerts, including Paul McCartney, B.B. King, Willie Nelson, Elton John, Billy Joel, Tom Petty, and even Jimi Hendrix!

Dan truly understood the secret to a life well lived. Dan’s tender heart and spirit of service allowed him to touch the lives of countless others in the most generous of ways. He had an insatiable zest for life that led him to live each day to the fullest, especially each of his “Bonus Days” after receiving a liver transplant in 2014. He was gentle with those around him. Though Dan will be deeply missed, he leaves behind a priceless legacy for his loved ones to live their lives in the way they please and with their own best love for each other.

Dan H. Rineveld, age 73, of Portage, MI, died on Friday, September 23, 2022, with his treasured family by his side. He is survived by his 2 daughters: Wendy Kathleen Rineveld and Marie Lynne Rineveld; 2 Siblings: Robin L. Ferenc and William F. (Deborah) Rineveld; former wife and continued good friend, Valerie Rineveld; and many loving cousins and extended family. Dan will be buried in South Portage Cemetery next to his beloved son Dan Matthew Rineveld, who died in 2010. Please join us at a Life Story Visitation where food, drinks, and stories will be shared on Wednesday, September 28th, from 5-7 PM at Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes, 6080 Stadium Drive, Kalamazoo, (269) 375-2900. Life Story Services will be held at 11 AM on Thursday, September 29th, at the same location. Cremation will take place prior to graveside service at Portage South Cemetery on Friday, September 30th, at 2:30 PM. All are welcome to attend.

We encourage you to visit Dan’s webpage at BetzlerLifeStory.com to share favorite memories and photos of Dan and sign his guestbook. Memorial contributions may be made to the Kalamazoo Air Zoo, where Dan volunteered enthusiastically in the Restoration Department throughout his happy retirement.

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