Kimberly Rinehart ’80 passed away

Kimberly Rinehart Merline passed away at her home in Purcellville, Va., on January 24, 2020. Kimberly was born in Kansas City, Kansas, to Dr. Donald and Marilyn Rinehart on March 27, 1962, and grew up in Perrysburg, Ohio. She received her bachelors degree in English at the University of Michigan, where her future husband was also attending (but whom she wouldnt meet until years later). She received her Masters degree in English from the University of Toledo. When she came to Washington for a journalism internship in 1989, she met her husband, John, and after marrying on July 6, 1991, they had three boys, Jack, Matt and Joey. Kimberly devoted every waking minute to raising her boys in a loving, caring, nurturing environment. She loved teaching, and for 10 years she homeschooled them. Kimberly taught them to love learning as much as she did. She shared with them her love of God. She encouraged them to pursue their passion, whether film, music, or computer programming. She was a steady moral guide. She poured out her love for them. Anyone who knew Kimberly knew she was thoughtful, caring, generous in spirit, with a forgiving heart and an infectious laugh. Kimberly is survived by her parents, her brother Greg Rinehart, her husband and her three boys. There will be a visitation for Kimberly at Hall Funeral Home in Purcellville, Va., on Thursday, January 30th from 6 pm to 8 pm. A funeral mass will be held at St. Francis de Sales Church in Purcellville at 10 a.m. on Friday, January 21st. In lieu of flowers, her family asks that donations be made to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. https://afsp.org/

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