John Davidson Hines
John Davidson Hines, 71, of Fountain Hills passed away peacefully while surrounded by loved ones on August 21, 2014 after a courageous six-year battle with cancer.
He is survived by Judy, his wife of 52 years; sons, Scott and Tom; son-in-law Hank Arens; daughter-in-law Paola Embry; granddaughter, Tara; sister, Shirley; and brother-in-law, Ben Toulson; brother, Hilton, and sister-in-law, Jane Hines; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Miriam and Bob Hayes; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and great friends.
John was a native of Carneys Point, N.J. He graduated from Penns Grove High School where he met the love of his life Judy, whom he married in 1962. In 1978, John and family embarked on a life-changing adventure when John took a job with the Arabian American Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) and the family moved to Saudi Arabia. John spent 19 years with Aramco working in the Terminal Department and living overseas. During that time, the family enjoyed traveling and meeting people from all over the world, many of whom they still call close friends.
John retired from Aramco in 1996 and moved to Fountain Hills in 1998 where he and Judy joined sons, Scott and Tom, who live in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area.
The family has enjoyed wonderful times together over the past 16 years in Arizona.
John was a man who was completely devoted to his family. He was a great handyman, and he never met a project he couldn't tackle - especially if it was a project to help friends or family members.
He loved music and was a great dancer, from ballroom to square dancing. He loved to travel and he experienced adventures beyond his wildest dreams, including trips to Africa, Europe, Asia, and all over the United States.
He was an avid sports fan and shared many great times with his sons watching the Diamondbacks, Steelers, and other favorite teams. When he moved to Arizona he took up hiking and enjoyed trips to the Grand Canyon, Havasupai Falls, the McDowell Mountains, and walking around the lake in Fountain Hills with best friends.
In later years, he loved to spend time with his beloved granddaughter Tara, especially for their annual trips to the shore in Ocean City, N.J. He also loved hearing his sons play music, dancing to the music of Tom's band, The Shammys, and going to many rock, blues and country music concerts.
He fought hard to keep living his life until the end, stayed positive, thought only of others, and constantly reminded everyone of how blessed his life was. He was truly a blessing to all the many people worldwide who knew him and called him their friend.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at Messinger Fountain Hills Mortuary, 12065 N. Saguaro Boulevard, Fountain Hills, (www.messingermortuary.com), on Thursday, Aug. 28, at 11 a.m. A reception for family and friends will follow, with lunch at the same location.
For those who may wish to do so, in lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Lymphoma Research Foundation via www.lymphoma.org/EdForum, or by check to Lymphoma Research Foundation, 115 Broadway, suite 1301, New York, NY 10006.