William L. Rink

William Lee “Bill” Rink, 85, of Geneseo,  passed away on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at Terrace Glen Village in Marion, Iowa. Cremation rites have been accorded and a memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 23, 2024, at Vandemore Funeral Homes & Crematory-Geneseo Chapel. The funeral service will be livestreamed at https://www.vandemorefuneralhome.com/live-stream.  A memorial visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m. on Thursday prior to the service at the funeral home. He will be laid to rest at Oakwood Cemetery at a later time. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made in his name to the American Alzheimer’s Association. Condolences can be left at www.vandemorefuneralhome.com.

Bill was born on January 29, 1939, the son of Bernard and Bernadine (Hoogerwerf) Rink. Bill attended J. D. Darnall Senior High School and was offered 12 scholarships to play football. The inscription in Bill’s class of 1957 graduation yearbook still rings true and was a harbinger for how many would come to know him throughout his life: “An all-around athlete, not very small; earnest in work and friendly to all”.

Bill declined the scholarship opportunities to work alongside his father and brothers to expand his family’s grocery store, Rink’s Market, in Geneseo. Over the years while working at the market and eventually taking over ownership, he employed hundreds of high school kids–including his own–to work at the store and effectively shepherded Rink’s Market into a third generation of family ownership. Bill built the meat department into a sought-after place for fine cuts of meat, fresh and frozen prepared foods, and a meat packaging facility. He was known for his cooking and was often asked for his homemade bratwurst and potato salad recipes.  He was a police commissioner, a volunteer firefighter, Board of the Director Member Farmers National Bank, member of the School Board, and owned the Iron Kettle Restaurant for several years.

He married Janet Katherine “Jan” Johnson on June 14, 1961, in Geneseo. They shared 58 years of marriage until Jan passed in 2019. They raised four children together and enjoyed many years of traveling, curating beautiful homes, and collecting antiques. After retiring from the grocery store, he traveled the world to teach other companies how to season and smoke meat. Bill loved to tinker in his workshop, take his golden retrievers on long walks for miles, and collect antiques. He was a kind, generous, and gentle giant who always championed the spirit of the little guy. A friend to all he saw, Bill will be greatly missed. 

Special thanks to Terrace Glen Village in Marion for creating a comfortable home where dad enjoyed his last three years. 

Those left to cherish his memory include son, Scott (Diane) Rink of Marion, IA, daughters, Jennifer (Mike) O’Toole, of Grayslake, IL, and Jill (Tami) Domescik-Rink of Auburn, IL, son, Brad (Kenny Lawrence) Rink, of Cape Town, South Africa; brother, John Rink of Silvis, IL; sister, Jane (Mike) Murphy of Atkinson, IL; six grandchildren, Taylor Rink, Alex (Chelsea) Rink, Hillary and Erin O’Toole, McKenzi and Emma Domescik-Rink, and four great-grandchildren, Manning, Madden, Benjamin and Ashlynn.

Bill was preceded in death by his wife, Janet Rink, granddaughter, Ashley (Rink) Merritts, his parents, Bernard and Bernadine Rink, and brother Allan Rink.