Ruben Ray Rinker

At age 3, after his parents passed away, he went to Portales, New Mexico, to live at Baptist Children’s Home, where he was raised, until the age of 15. He joined the Army, and was on the boat going overseas to serve in World War II, when the war was over. Upon his completion of his service, he used his GI bill to go to refrigeration school in Chicago. He then went to Durango, Colorado, where he worked for a dairy. He then met the love of his life, Dorothy Dillon, and they later married in 1951. They lived in New Mexico, California, and Durango Colorado, and moved to Arizona in 1958. He owned and operated several trading posts on the reservation in Arizona. They moved to Scottsdale, and then moved to Russellville, Kentucky in 1996 for 15 years, then moved to Gallatin, Tennessee for 6 years. They moved to Mesa in 2014.

Ruben enjoyed hunting, fishing, woodworking, gardening, and being busy. He also loved playing jokes. He was ordained as a deacon in Winslow, Arizona in 1967, and he served at several churches. He most recently was a member of Gallatin Baptist Church, where he was a member of the church choir.

Ruben is survived by his wife of 64 years, Dorothy Rinker; daughters Becky Gonzales and her husband Richard, Sharon Levario and her husband Craig, Linda Gibbs, Becky Adams and her husband Keith; son Dan Rinker; 12 grandchildren and their spouses, 15 great grandchildren with 1 on the way; numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, his siblings and a son-in-law.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, October 31, 2015, at Mariposa Gardens Memorial Park and Funeral Care at 10:30 am. He will be interred at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Bright Life Farms Inc., 6773 US 62W, Kuttawa, Kentucky 42055, which is a home for mentally or developmentally challenged adults.