Christine Elizabeth Rininger

Christine Elizabeth Rininger died of complications from metastatic triple negative breast cancer on August 31, 2025. Initially diagnosed with Stage 2 triple negative breast cancer in 2021, Christine fought to stay with her three sons and husband for as long as the giver of life would allow. Thankfully, her family received over four more years of life with Christine, a gift of infinite value. Born on January 18, 1980, in Daytona Beach, Florida, to Clint and Darlene Smith, Christine was born again sitting in a car with her mom in a Publix parking lot in Palm Coast, Florida, when she gave her life to Jesus at the age of 16. Baptized in her friends’ swimming pool, Christine was raised to new life, one that would carry her to Liberty University, where she participated in student ministry and received both a BS in Psychology and an MA in Counseling. As a child, Christine enjoyed ballet and softball, eventually playing catcher for Flagler Palm Coast High School and dancing in a local production of the Nutcracker while attending an anti-dancing college. But during her senior year of college, it was a yearslong love of classic literature that would spur telephone conversations late into the night with her eventual husband, Glenn. After entering her marriage covenant and while finishing her master’s degree, Christine helped open a church’s Christian counseling center in Tampa, Florida, and then began counseling kids and managing the office at a counseling center in Lynchburg, Virginia. Her counseling career, however, was stopped short when a little boy, she named Hezekiah, burst into the world and presented Christine with her true calling—motherhood. For fifteen years, Christine served the kingdom by faithfully discipling her children. She taught Hezekiah, Judah, and Silas the things of God through crafts, devotionals, prayer, and laughter. The boys learned of their mom’s compassion for others and commitment to spreading the gospel by watching her pack shoeboxes each year for Operation Christmas Child. Never having a daughter of her own, Christine packed exclusively for little girls around the world—one year managing to ship over forty boxes. Christine delighted in the beauty of our creator’s world by tending to plants and her garden, attracting cardinals and butterflies to her backyard with birdfeeders and milkweed, and exploring national parks with her family. She often told of visiting the Grand Canyon for the first time with her sister, while listening to a song by Andrew Peterson, and thinking, yes, she did want to thank someone for all this life and beauty. Christine’s family joins her in thanking Jesus for her life, this beautiful planet, and the coming redemption of the world. Awaiting the resurrection while in the presence of the Lord, Christine joins her mom, Darlene, who died in 2017. Awaiting Christ’s return on Earth are Christine’s sons—Hezekiah, Judah, and Silas; her husband—Glenn; her sister—Allison Smith; and her father—Clinton Smith. One day Christ will speak, and her body buried in Tallahassee will rise from the ground to worship the Savior on the new earth. Come, Lord Jesus, Come. Christine’s funeral will be held on September 12, 2025, at 4:00 PM at Four Oaks Killearn in Tallahassee, Florida. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Samaritan’s Purse and Operation Christmas Child. Or you could even pack an OCC shoebox yourself to share the love of Christ with a child across the globe from you. Kelly Barber of Bevis Funeral Home (850-385-2193 or www.bevisfh.com) is assisting the Rininger family with their arrangements.

Tributes

Christine Elizabeth Rininger

January 18, 1980 - August 31, 2025