Les Hinze

Leslie Weldon Hinze, 69, of Chalk Bluff, passed away Sunday, January 2, 2022.

Visitation: 5 – 7PM Friday, January 7, 2022, at Lake Shore Funeral Home.

Funeral Services: 10AM Saturday, January 8, 2022, at Lake Shore Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will follow at Moore Cemetery in Chalk Bluff.  Click here to View the Live Stream of the Service.

Les was born September 22, 1952 in Temple to Ernest Hinze and Marjorie Barganier. He was raised in San Marcos. He retired from Central Freight Lines after 46 years of service. Les married Patti Greenwood on July 12, 2008. He was a member of Columbus Avenue Baptist Church.

He was preceded in death by his parents; one son, Erick Moore; one sister; two brother, and two nieces.

Survivors include his wife, Patti Hinze; son, Kyle Moore; four brothers; three sisters, and numerous nieces, nephews and other family members.

Memorial contributions may be made to one’s favorite charity.

The Story of Les Hinze

The story is told of a curious little three-year-old boy standing in the front seat of a car next to his mother, long before seat belts or child safety seats. After observing the accelerator and the brake and the responses of each to the applied pressure of his mother’s foot, the little boy pointed to the accelerator and asked, “What does this one do?” His mother condensed what could have been a complicated response to a simple, “Well, son, this one makes it go.” Satisfied with that answer, the little boy then pointed to the brake and asked, “What does that one do?” Again, his mother pared the complex reality of her answer down to the basic truth: “That one makes it stop.” The little three-year-old successfully received and stored this information that would last a lifetime, acknowledging his mother’s lessons. Nodding his head in appreciation and understanding, he said, “That’s all I need to know.”

Les Hinze was a whole lot like that little boy. Ernest and Marjorie Hinze had a total of eleven children (ten by birth and one adopted). They welcomed their third son and fifth child, Leslie Weldon Hinze on September 22, 1952 in Temple, Texas. After growing up in San Marcos and graduating from San Marcos High, Les attended Texas State Technical Institute in Waco to study auto mechanics. Thereafter he called Waco home. While this might seem like quite an ambitious move for such a young man, it is important to remember that Les had the gift of taking the difficult and reducing it to its simplest form. He knew the importance of staying true to his most basic values, among them honesty, integrity, generosity, loyalty, decency, and-above all-unyielding faith in his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It was this core value that led him to immediately find a church home in Waco. His whole life had been rooted in church, and he loved everything about it. Sundays were special to him; he loved Sunday School, fellowship, worship, gospel songs, and family. He felt led to First Baptist Church of Waco, where he was a member for thirty-five years. His service there included driving the Sunday School bus and faithfully attending workdays, events, and services. Les beautifully connected with his new community (a person with a sweet spirit like his usually does that easily) and his employment at Central Freight continued for forty-six years before his retirement in 2019.

All the while Les was an avid automobile enthusiast. He had a respect and appreciation for well-built motors and classy body styles which he no doubt inherited from his father and older brothers. They were all proficient in a favorite Hinze past time, a game they called “Name That Tail Light.” Les’ love of cars was never ending.

Speaking of never-ending loves, Les’ life grew exponentially in love, joy and pride when in 1996 he was unable to get out of a blind date. Through mutual friends, Les met beautiful Patti Greenwood Moore and her handsome young son, Kyle. His life was at once enriched and repleted when he fell in love–with both of them. Les joined Patti and Kyle in their family worship at Columbus Avenue Baptist where he so enjoyed hearing Patti sing, and they soon became familiar faces at those Hinze Family Reunions that Les loved so much. In fact, one of those Hinze Reunions turned into a Hinze Wedding one summer. Officiated by Les’ eldest brother, a sweet, simple ceremony in a little white chapel at Summer’s Mill united two admittedly imperfect people who were perfect for each other. “My family” no longer meant only his much loved and quite large number of siblings and their children; he added the two most important people in his life to that group, and now the handsome, self-professed bachelor of fifty-five years was thrilled to take on the role of husband and father.

They built a beautiful life together with Christ as the head of their household. When it was time for each other’s respective retirement from work, they gave each other little surprise parties, anticipating more time to enjoy each other, visiting, and even a little traveling. Kyle always marveled that Les could find his way anywhere, never used a map, and never got lost. He was a purposeful wanderer, often taking a last-minute turn just to see where an unfamiliar road went, or he would take a certain route to a destination and choose a different one coming home just to see what was out there.

On April 22, 2021, Les learned that he would be going down a road no one ever wants to take. After the doctors told him that he had cancer, he and Patti walked quietly out to their car, got in, and he said, “Let’s pray.” These prayers continued before every doctor’s appointment and every procedure, living that same faith that he exemplified every day for what was then, sixty-eight years. And after that, the fight was on. With his family and legions of friends and prayer warriors by his side, he was ready to see what made it go, what could make it stop, and that was all he needed to know.

II Corinthians reads that our weakness is made perfect in God’s strength, and Les’ numbered days were evidence of this. One of his most obvious, endearing personality traits was his alpha independence; he could always figure out, fix up, or find his way–on his own. In declining health and with a weakening body, he had to make the decision to be dependent—the opposite of everything he had ever been his whole life. Not unlike the process of surrendering to Christ when a believer realizes his own inadequacies, Les allowed and accepted Patti as his caregiver when she told him that taking care of the man that she loved was the most wonderful gift she could ever receive. She assured him that she would never leave his side. He trusted her and believed what she promised, and just as Les always had done, she kept her word.

They welcomed the new year together, visiting with family, watching Baylor win the Sugar Bowl, and eating chocolate pie. In the early hours of January 2, Les slipped into eternity with the confidence that only a believer can know. He flew straight to Heaven, no map necessary, no last-minute turns, and no need to venture down anymore roads. He believed in the Cross and the Resurrection, Jesus’ ultimate stop-and-go mechanisms, and that was indeed all he needed to know.

Les Hinze was that inquisitive little three-year old boy who asked his mother two basic but very significant questions while standing beside her in the car that day back in the mid-50s. His appreciation and understanding of her answers regarding the car were affirmed that day with a nod. Similarly, Les Hinze a husband, father, brother, uncle, cousin, friend—now lives forever in Heaven’s kingdom in constant affirmation of God’s eternal mercy and grace–with first-hand knowledge that salvation’s promises are true. His mother and his Heavenly Father were both right. And that was all Les needed to know.

Mourning the loss of Les and celebrating his life are his survivors, wife, Patti Hinze; son, Kyle Moore; brothers, Dwayne (Susan), Gary (Juli), Terry (Nancy), and Alan (Tina) Hinze; sisters, Pat Mangum, Sharon (Don) Hooker, and Edra (Randy) Bierschwale; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins who will miss him but rejoice in his homegoing.  He was preceded in death by his son, Erick Moore; parents; his brothers, Bubba and Kenneth Hinze; sister, Shirley Smith; and two nieces, Jennifer Hinze and Cheyenne Hart.

Place of Service: Lake Shore Funeral Home Chapel , 5201 Steinbeck Bend; Waco, TX 76708