John Hines Obituary

After a long struggle with Multiple System Atrophy, John was welcomed to his heavenly home. He never complained about this terrible disease which affected every part of his life. His faith in Jesus strengthened him and gave him peace.

John graduated from Indianola High School in 1976. He attended every class reunion. John was a lifelong learner and athlete. He attended Simpson College in his hometown of Indianola, IA, graduating in 1980. In recent years he served on the Simpson Board of Trustees. John loved playing basketball at Simpson and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1990. In his senior year, he held the Simpson season scoring record, achieving 615 points (three-point shots were not counted)

For these athletic achievements, John won an NCAA scholarship to further his education. He chose to attend the University of Iowa and earned a master's in Business Administration. While in Iowa City, John’s friend, Joel Hade, encouraged John to pursue his lifelong dream of medicine. After graduating with an MBA, he graduated from Des Moines University with a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his training and became board certified in three specialties: emergency medicine, internal medicine, and gastroenterology. He was a Fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology and a member of many medical organizations. John also went on several medical mission trips, including Honduras and Kenya, to provide compassionate care to those in need. A cherished memory was hiking Mt. Kilimanjaro after volunteering for a month at Tenwek Hospital in Kenya.

John met the love of his life, Becky, in Chicago at Park Community Church. They married in 2003. Before making their home in Des Moines, they lived in Indiana for two years. They have many friends and cherished memories as Chicagoans and Hoosiers.

John returned to Iowa in 2005, where he worked for 15 years as a gastroenterologist at the Iowa Clinic. He loved being a doctor and caring for his patients. He served on the Board of Directors for nine years. John was also incredibly proud of his service on the Pension Committee, a role he held for most of his tenure at the Clinic.

John was a gentle, kind, and humble man. He was curious and intelligent, generous with his time, and eager to help others. He was a great listener and possessed wisdom and a playful sense of humor. He particularly enjoyed GI-related humor. John loved: his family, basketball, swimming, hiking, baking, classic rock music, photography, deep dish Chicago pizza, the Iowa Hawkeyes, and dark chocolate. Many people were blessed with the gift of his world-famous chocolate brownies. An avid reader, he was often found with a copy of the Wall Street Journal, or a book tucked in his bag. He faithfully read his bible every day.

John is preceded in death by his mother, Janell Spencer Hines, and father, John Franklin Hines (Mary). He is survived by his devoted wife, Becky; his loving sister Janell Ruth Scott (Bradley), nephew David Scott (Andrea), his great nieces Kathryn and Amelia, and his great nephew Daniel. John was blessed to have many cousins, extended family, friends, and his family of faith at Valley Evangelical Free Church.

Instead of flowers, donations may be made in honor of John at Valley Evangelical Free Church (Koinonia fund), Simpson College, On with Life, or the Multiple System Atrophy Coalition.

A celebration of life service is scheduled for Saturday, January 21st, 2023, at Valley Evangelical Free Church (4343 Fuller Road, West Des Moines, IA 50265). Visitation at 10:00 am, service at 11:00 am. The service will be live-streamed by Iles Funeral Homes.

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