of Greenbrier, AR

August 24, 1947 - February 10, 2020

Ellis Delmar (Pete) Hines, 72, died at home in Greenbrier with his wife of nearly 54 years, Joyce Ann, by his side.

Sons, Delmar Lamoin Hines and Lance Deon Hines and daughter (in law) Love Hines also filled their home with love as a man who had been hard at work since age 12 went to rest. He joins in death his twin sister, Della Elmira, who he lost at age 9, as well as brothers, Harold Dean and Henry Brooks and parents, Emery Brooks and Eula Fay. He is also survived by sister, Awilda Lou Surles and her husband, Gary Surles; granddaughter, AnneDella Hines and her husband, Andres Herrera and grandson, Foster Hines and his partner, Nadine Devich. He leaves behind nieces, nephews, many friends, and a large extended family.

Whether known as Delmar, Pete, or Gramps, he was known to be tough, hard-working and dedicated to his friends, family, church family and customers. After graduation Pete joined the United States Air Force, and shortly thereafter married middle school sweetheart, Joyce Ann Linville in their hometown of Fox, Arkansas on May 17, 1966. He was an aircraft mechanic until his honorable discharge in December 1969.

His return from traveling the world allowed him to once again dive into his true passion, fixing cars, and he bought his first service station in Little Rock in 1970. Then, in 1976, Pete and Joyce established permanent roots in Faulkner County, founding Conway staple, Hines Service Center on Harkrider Street and buying a house in Greenbrier. Pete repaired vehicles while Joyce ran the books, building a reputation for the Hines name in honest auto repair. During this time he served as the president of the Arkansas Gasoline Retailers Association and was appointed in 1988 by Governor Bill Clinton to serve on the Advisory Committee for Regulated Storage Tanks, serving for nine years. He could fix any problem and never forgot a customer's name.

He sold the business in 2011 and the rheumatoid arthritis he'd been battling since age 35 forced his retirement in 2014. He'd had every joint replaced, including his hips 10 times. But, in true Hines fashion, he returned to work multiple times afterwards, until Joyce lovingly joked, "he was fired." Pete bought his first car, a 1953 Plymouth, when he was 13 years old and true to his word, worked on cars until the day he died. The service station in which he poured his heart and soul still bears his name.

Pete was a member of the Greenbrier Church of Christ where members knew him to be a loyal friend and a Gramps to many.

To know Pete was to be loved by him and to laugh often. He had an incredible sense of humor and a wonderful big laugh. He joked he was made of so much metal he should just be taken to the scrap yard when his time had come. His family had other plans though, and a funeral service will be held, Thursday, February 13, 2020, at 10:00am, at Greenbrier Church of Christ. Graveside memorial at 2:00pm, at Fox Cemetery in Fox, AR. Visitation is Wednesday, February 12, 2020, from 5:00 to 7:00pm, at Roller-McNutt Funeral Home in Greenbrier.

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