Bill Rinck
A. William “Bill” G. Rinck, 63, of Coram, died on July 16, 2014, following a six-year life-filled journey with prostate cancer, with which he made peace. He took his last breath with his family at their home, surrounded by nature.
The son of Arno Rinck and Frances Kelly, Bill entered this life April 19, 1951, in Manhattan, N.Y., and was baptized Oct. 14, 1951. He lived in Hackensack, N.J., before moving to Columbia Falls in 1963. He graduated from Columbia Falls High School in 1969.
Bill married his high school sweetheart Vicki Byrd, of Martin City, on June 6, 1970, at St. Richard’s Parish in Columbia Falls. They’d known each other since seventh grade and had been committed since they were 16 years old.
While attending college, Bill worked four seasons in Glacier National Park, living summers at Avalanche Ranger Station. He earned degrees in accounting and business administration from Washington State University in 1973 and a CMA in 1974.
He was an accountant for the Anaconda Aluminum Company and ARCO from 1973 through 1977, when he became self-employed as an investment analyst/adviser.
Throughout his life, he was an environmentalist. From 2001 through early 2014, Bill assisted and served two international Catholic foundations which promote the preferential option for the poor and peace.
Bill and Vicki lived in Pullman, Wash., from 1970-1973, Martin City from 1973-1975, Columbia Falls from 1975-1978, and 1980-1981, Isle LaMotte, Vt., in 1979, and Coram from 1981 to the present. He served on St. Richard’s Parish committees, the Flathead County Planning Board, school committees and coached youth sports from 1985-1994.
He is survived by his wife Vicki; three children, Cecilia, of Coram, and grandchild Apani, Moses and his wife Alicia, of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Ariz., and Kalispell, and grandchildren Makayla and Noah, and Claudette, of West Glacier.
A community Taize/wake and sharing with drinks and food will take place at St. Richard’s Catholic Church in Columbia Falls on Sunday, July 27, 2014, at 6:30 p.m. Memorial Mass will take place at St. Richard’s Catholic Church on Monday, July 28, 2014, at 10 a.m.
Memorials may be made to Caritas Internationalis, Palazzo San Calisto, Vatican City State V-00120, which assists the poor and oppressed throughout the world; or Pax Christi International, Rue du Vieux Marche aux Grains, 21 B 1000, Bruxelles, Belgium, which works for world peace; or Jim Byrd’s Fund for the Poor, St. Richard’s Catholic Church, P.O. Box 2073, Columbia Falls MT 59912.