John Sines

John Clifford Sines, age 98, of McCook, NE passed away on Saturday, May 1, 2021 at his home in Kinship Pointe, McCook.

John was born December 27, 1922 in Marian, NE to parents Guy B. and May A. (Lafferty) Sines.  He was one of eight children born to this union.  The family later moved to the McCook community where John attended school. Immediately upon becoming 18 years old, John left high school in January of 1943 and enlisted in the United States Navy. He proudly served his country during WW11, serving as Carpenter’s Mate second class (Petty Officer) responsible for below deck battle damage control on a Patrol Craft Escort Ship.  His ship was assigned to anti-submarine patrol and escort duty off the California coast during 1944 and in the Philippine Islands area during most of 1945, with special duty as a landing force control ship during the Okinawa invasion. John earned his GED on board ship before being Honorably Discharged at the end of 1945 and is listed with the 1944 graduating class of McCook High School.

John married his high school sweetheart Lois M. (McNeill) Sines on November 8, 1944 in Norton, KS while on leave prior to departing for the Western Pacific Theatre. Returning to McCook in 1946, the couple purchased a home on East 4th Street and began a yearlong remodeling project while raising three sons: Michael, Gary and Steve. John was employed by Otto Gas as their LP Gas technician for thirty-two years and managed the Propane operation for ten more years after the Kugler Oil Company acquired Otto Gas, retiring in 1986 after 42 years of employment.

John was an accomplished roller-skater, winning skate contests while in high school before the war, even taking his custom skates with him to skate in California while on liberties during the war. His love of roller skating continued for the rest of his life, searching for skating rinks was part of many family vacation trips. He spent many hours teaching and inspiring his boys, their friends and many Cub Scouts to skate, putting on his skates for the last time to teach and spin grandchildren a year or two before he reached 65.

John was a member of the Memorial United Methodist Church as well as the local Lions Club and the Elks Club. He was also a lifetime member of the American Legion.  John was a Boy Scout Volunteer for over forty-five years, serving as Cub Master and later Tri-Trails Council Leadership Training Chairman. He received the highest honor for volunteers, the Silver Beaver Award and watched all three of his sons reach the rank of Eagle Scout.  John was also a MYF Sponsor, a District REA Director and volunteered at the McCook Area Food Pantry.

John was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Lois Sines; three brothers, Willis and Leonard Sines and an infant brother, Elmer Dee; three sisters, Norene Nicoll, Avis Haworth and Iris Troester; and a daughter in law, Deborah Sines.

Those left to celebrate his life include his sons, Michael (Ann) Sines of Pierre, SD, Gary (Janice) Sines of Jefferson City, MO and Steve Sines of McCook; brother, Paul Sines of Anchorage, AK; brother in law, Virgil Troester of Greeley, CO; eight grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren, and a special niece, Brenda (McNeill) Smith, Belleville, KS, who came to live with John and Lois as a child.