George W. Hine, Jr., age 88, of Early died Saturday morning at the Brownwood Regional Medical Center following a short illness.
Funeral services will be held at 2 PM Tuesday at the Early First Baptist Church with Rev. Eddie Ailshie and Rev. Dallas Huston officiating. Burial with military honors will follow in the Eastlawn Memorial Park. Visitation will be held from 6 – 7:30 PM on Monday at Heartland Funeral Home.
George was born October 1, 1921 in Lincolnton, North Carolina the son of the late George Washington and Annie Marie Turner Hine Sr. He served in the U. S. Army during World War II and later graduated from Hardin-Simmons University where he received his B.A. and M.A. degrees. He married Maxine Smith at Early on August 2, 1966, and has resided here since except for a short time in Houston.
For more than 16 years, he was the assistant vice-president for development and publicity and vice-president of public relations at Howard Payne University. He also served many years as sports information director. He closed out his career after serving some seven years on the staff at Houston Baptist University where he was assistant to the President. Following his retirement, he returned to Early where his wife was a former member of the HPU physical education faculty and a former teacher in the Brownwood ISD.
Hine holds a Texas House of Representatives resolution citation for his record service and achievement in professional, educational and civic organizations and associations and is credited with designing formats of development and sports brochures used by colleges and universities not only in Texas, but across the nation.
He was a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes (NAIA) Hall of Fame and the Texas Baptist Public Relations Association (TBPEA) Hall of Fame. As an inductee into the TBPRA Hall of Fame, Hine was cited “for his strong religious heritage, his commitment to his profession and his vast knowledge of public relations…a well-known talent in the college public relations community with one of the longest tenures in the state”. He was also been honored by the College Sports Information Directors of America (COSIDA).
Hine was honored by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and was a member of the “Personalities of the South”. He was a former member of the Early Chamber of Commerce, a former member of the Early City Council, and held a lifetime membership in the Disabled American Veterans. During World War II, he served in the U. S. Army Engineer unit both in the European Theater of Operations and the Pacific Theater Of Operations.
While at Hardin-Simmons University, Hine served in all phases of public relations and was a member of the journalism faculty. While residing in Abilene, he served four times as president of the Border Conference Press Association and also served as vice president of the Southwestern Journalism Conference. As a student at Hardin-Simmons, he was involved in campus publications, serving both at editor and business manager of the campus newspaper, manager of the radio station, and was named to Who’s Who Among Students in Colleges and Universities.
While at Howard Payne University, he was named the Outstanding Sports Information Director of the Lone Star Conference and won several NAIA All American Awards for sports brochures.
George was an active member of the Early First Baptist Church. He will be missed by many who knew him and his smiling personality.
He is survived by his wife, Maxine Smith Hine of Early,
His son, Kevin Hine and wife Tricia of Vienna, Virginia
His grandchildren – Heather and Brian Hine
His grand Nephew – B. J. Smith
Nieces and Nephews – Ben George Herb, Terry Matthews, Catherine Hine, and Pam Bellar
Brother-in-law – Bill Smith
Sister – in – law – Margie Hine
Preceded in death by a brother, James Hine and a sister, Marie Herb.
The family requests memorials be made to the Early First Baptist Church or to Howard Payne University in George’s honor.
