Ceville Hinman

Ceville Hinman chose to live a life of peace, grace and love, leaving a legacy that will continue to inspire those who were blessed to cross his path. He was a man of great integrity whose quiet whispers of faith reflected what it means to be a follower of God. In addition to his faith, Ceville found his greatest joy in the family he shared with the love of his life for nearly 50 years. He was committed to making the world around him a better place whether through his work, within his family, or in the life he lived each and every day.

Ceville and Dorothy (Vore) Hinman welcomed the birth of their son, Ceville Bryan, on October 4, 1939. Born in Clawson, Michigan, in the Detroit metropolitan area, Ceville was joined in his family by older sister Carole and younger sister Linda. He was raised in Alma, which is centrally located between Saginaw and Grand Rapids, where his father worked as a farmer and his mother worked at JC Penney. Faith was established as a cornerstone in Ceville’s life as a young boy. He was part of Youth for Christ and the Free Methodist Church in St. Louis, Michigan. Ceville was a farm boy by nature who showed livestock at the county fairs with blue ribbons to his credit. He was also a member of the Future Farmers of America (FFA).

Ceville attended a one-room school house through the 8th grade and ran track and cross country at Alma High School. After graduating from high school in 1957, Ceville went on to earn his associate’s degree from Spring Arbor College where he was a class officer. He went on to earn his B.S. in Math and Science Education from Greenville College. Ceville later earned a M.A. in School Administration from Southern Illinois University along with his Specialist Certificate in Administration.

With a passion for shaping lives, Ceville had a successful career in education for 32 years. He was initially a teacher, coach, and principal in Mulberry Grove, Illinois until he moved to Hillsboro where he worked as both a teacher and a principal. Then Ceville moved to Waterford, Michigan, where he taught for two years, but he found that his heart was in administration work. Ceville was hired as a principal at Green Meadow Elementary School in Comstock. He was a principal at West Elementary before opening Northeast Middle School. Ceville then returned to Green Meadow where he remained until he retired in June of 1994, after 32 years in education, 26 of which were in Comstock. He made an impact in the Comstock school system as he was noted for implementing the Young 5’s Program, Reading Recovery, and whole language curriculum. Ceville was also credited for his unique team of teachers who were united by a special bond that led them to be known as the Green Meadow Gang.

While attending Greenville College, Ceville met the young woman with whom he would share an abiding love. Her name was Lou Ann Tyler and after dating for one year, they married on September 2, 1961, surrounded by their family and friends in a Christian wedding ceremony at Bethany Baptist Church in Peoria, Illinois. Ceville and Lou Ann were blessed with two children, Tammy and David. He fully embraced his role as a father and was very “hands on” when it came to his children. Ceville offered his children a perfect balance of strict, consistent, and creative discipline along with unconditional love. He instilled within his children Chrsitian values, the importance of education and a strong work ethic.

Since he was from a farm, Ceville loved to spend time in his vegetable garden. He especially enjoyed sharing his yield with his neighbors, and he passed his love for gardening on to his daughter. Ceville’s days on the farm also established a lifelong love for animals, which he passed on to his son. He helped his children raise ducks, guinea pigs, rabbits, and even a raccoon. They also had more traditional pets like Siamese cats and numerous dogs through the years, but his golden retriever named Bonnie Bell was his favorite.

When Ceville took the position in Comstock, he and Lou Ann built a house on Indian Lake, and it quickly became apparent that the whole family was made for lakeshore living. They boated, sailed, and water skied during the summer months and during the winter they cross-country skied and snowmobiled. Ceville became known as the “master water skiing instructor” as he taught not only his children how to water ski, but their friends as well.

Ceville was a man of many other interests. He liked reading, often about finances since he dabbled in investing quite a bit. After retiring, Ceville and Lou Ann enjoyed traveling, The couple also wintered in Arizona for the past 15 years where Ceville played tennis and participated in his son's church, Lifepoint.

An inspiring teacher and principal, a faithful husband, a devoted father, and a fun-loving grandfather, Ceville Hinman was certainly a remarkable man. His grandchildren thought his one-liners were so funny, and they will forever remember him saying, “A bushel and peck, and a hug around the neck.” Ceville was a caring and committed educator who shaped the lives of many over the course of his lifetime. His faith, gentle spirit, and consistent walk earned him the respect of all those who were blessed to cross his path. Ceville will be dearly missed and fondly remembered.

Ceville B. Hinman of Vicksburg died on June 24, 2010 at Odyssey Hospice in Mesa, Arizona. Ceville’s family includes his wife Lou Ann, his daughter Tammy (Ron) Scott and his son David (Lissa) Hinman, grandchildren: Tyler, Joshua & Lindsey Scott, Jordan, Joy & Joelle Hinman, his sister Linda (Dave) Hodges, and many other relatives. Ceville was preceded in death by his parents and his sister Carole Evoy. Visit with his family and friends on Wednesday from 4:30-8:00 at Life Story Funeral Home, Portage; 5975 Lovers Lane (344-5600). A Funeral service will be held on Thursday at 11:00 a.m. at Chapman Memorial Church of the Nazarene with the family receiving friends one hour prior to the service. A memorial service honoring Ceville will be held November 21, 2010 at 4:00 p.m. at LifePoint Church; 28479 N. Main Street; San Tan Valley, Arizona. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you can archive a memory or photo or make a memorial donation to Lifepoint Church Building Fund or Gideon International.