Dr. John Hinni

Dr. John B. Hinni, 86, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, May 29, 2019, at his home.

He was born Nov. 23, 1932, in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, to Clarence J. and Evelyn Nienhaus Hinni. He married Marie Berkbigler in 1959. She preceded him in death July 25, 2015.

He attended St. Vincent High School in Perryville, Missouri; received a Bachelor of Science in zoology from Southeast Missouri State University, and a Master of Science and a doctorate from Northwestern.

He served a tour of duty in the U.S. Navy from 1952 to 1956. He taught at Northwestern University, Xavier University and Southeast Missouri State University, from which he retired in May 1998.

While at Southeast, he chaired the Premedical Advisory Committee for many years. A total of 200 of his advisees and students matriculated in a medical school during his tenure. He also chaired the committee revising the liberal education curriculum in the 1980s and became the founding dean of the School of University Studies. He also became the founding president of the council for Association of General and Liberal Studies, a national organization. He served a six-year term on the Missouri Humanities Council and was a member of the Governing Board of Directors of Community Counseling Center for many years, having served as board president for 15 of those years.

The loves of his life included the plight of the mentally ill and Native Americans, introducing beginning university students to the wonders of the living world, helping qualified students gain acceptance to medical school, reading classic literature and The New York Times and interacting with people smarter than he.

He received a federal research fellowship from the Surgeon General for Embryologic Research, the Joseph Katz Award from the Association for General and Liberal Studies and a lifetime achievement award from the Community Counseling Center. He dedicated his life to education.

Survivors include his two sons, John Hinni Jr., who has two daughters, Stella Marie and Emily Anne of Denver; and Dr. Michael Hinni of the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix and his wife, Jill, and their children, Brandon and Danielle. He has one brother, the Rev. Thomas Hinni of Perryville.

Visitation will be held from 11 a.m. to noon June 15 at Ford and Sons Funeral Home, 1001 N. Mount Auburn Road in Cape Girardeau.

A memorial service will follow at noon June 15 at the funeral home.

Memorial contributions can be made to Community Counseling Center, 402 S. Silver Springs Road, Cape Girardeau, MO 63703 or John B. Hinni Scholarship in support of single mothers tuition assistance at Southeast Missouri State University, One University Plaza, MS 7300, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701.

Online condolences may be sent at www.fordandsonsfuneralhome.com.