VERL HINATSU Obituary (1953 – 2021) – Boise, ID

Verl Hinatsu
November 26, 1953 – August 7, 2021
Boise, Idaho – VERL MATHIAS HINATSU
A Life Well-Lived
Verl Hinatsu, longtime resident of Boise, Idaho, passed away unexpectedly on August 7, 2021 at the age of 67. Born in Ontario, Oregon on November 26, 1953, he grew up on the family farm in Fruitland, Idaho where he lived with his parents and 4 siblings. He attended Fruitland schools and was a member of the Idaho-Oregon Buddhist Temple. After graduating from Fruitland High School in 1972, he studied at Links School of Business in Boise. Verl found a job at the downtown location of PIP Printing, and in a short while became manager there. He eventually bought one of the PIP stores, which under his ownership became Fairview Printers. His purchase of a house in north Boise was a big milestone. During this time he enjoyed downhill skiing, mountain biking, fly fishing, and playing pick-up basketball with friends.
After closing Fairview Printers after 25 years, Verl worked part-time at Meridian Bowling Lanes in his retirement.
His parents Kazuo and Mariko, his brother Kalvyn and niece, Anne (Michael) preceded him in death. He is survived by siblings June Rhinehart (Vincent), Roger Hinatsu (Kelli), Karen Sturdy (Gary), and by nieces and nephews Rebecca (James) and Kate (Zach), Elizabeth (Jake), Michael, Benjamin (Libby), Rachel (Denver), as well as great-nieces and great-nephews Andrea and Andrew, Wade and Claire. He is also survived by two uncles and aunts and by extended family in Washington, Oregon, California and Michigan.
A private family memorial service will be held September 25, 2021 at the Idaho-Oregon Buddhist Temple in Ontario, Oregon.
Verl had the ability to connect with people and he made friends easily and kept them, and had numerous long-time friends and acquaintances in the Fruitland-Ontario area and Boise and beyond. Customers became friends because he cared about quality and good customer service. He made a point of patronizing local small businesses. Sociable, he enjoyed going to restaurants and bars and liked to listen to live Reggae music. Getting together with family, gardening, cooking and enjoying good food, especially during the holidays, was extremely important to Verl. He was very fond of Mexican food and a trip to Mazatlan where he ate ‘real’ Mexican food was a highlight. Uncle Verl was very supportive of his nieces and nephews and also his friends’ children as they pursued their interests — judo, swimming, high school sports, and music. He was a friendly presence while his niece attended Boise State University. He was fun to be around. He was a good host when family visited. We benefited from his loving good-heartedness, his thoughtfulness and generous nature. Sensitive and sentimental, Verl often visited his parents’ gravesite at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery in Boise. The following words were written in his will and they describe his feelings about family: “I know how much my family loves me and how much I love them. Our memories of each other will serve as our monuments.”
We believed that we would have more time with him. We will remember him and miss him.