Leland Hineline, 64, Was Honest, Friendly

Leland "Lee" Hineline, a warm, private man who served 32 years as a State Farm Insurance agent in Bellevue, sold more than policies to clients. He sold honesty, friendship and reliability, say those who knew him.

Such qualities long kept him in business at his office at 148th

Avenue Southeast and Main Street, a block west of Kmart.

Mr. Hineline used to fly his own Piper Cherokee airplane and lately had enjoyed riding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. He also liked to tinker with old cars.

Growing up on the family homestead in De Soto, Neb., he had tinkered with a vintage Harley. It was the nostalgia and a fondness for taking his grandchildren for a spin that later prompted him to kick-start another Harley.

"He really liked spending time with his children and grandchildren," said his son Curt Hineline of Bellevue. "A couple times a year he'd put flags on the Harley, wrap crepe paper around the spokes, and parade around the neighborhood."

Mr. Hineline died of lung cancer Wednesday (June 10). He was 64.

Born in De Soto, he served in the Army from 1952 to 1954. He moved to Seattle in 1957 and drove milk-delivery trucks for Darigold.

He became a State Farm agent when a colleague of his brother, an agent in Omaha, Neb., came to Seattle to hire new agents. The job was so pleasant that Mr. Hineline stayed three decades.

"What a sweet, sweet man he was," said fellow agent Charles Kern. "That sounds odd to say, but that was Lee. He was a great family man, great businessman, honest and a good friend for 25 years. He was extremely respected in the community and the business community."

Mr. Hineline regularly ushered at church and volunteered at food banks. He also dispensed fatherly advice to clients' children who were having problems, said his daughter, Laura Jones of Redmond.

He planned to retire at the end of 1998. But after becoming ill a month ago, he wrote his resignation letter, effective July 31.

"He never made it," said his son. "He was still an agent when he died."

Other survivors include his wife of 42 years, Mary Hineline of Bellevue; sons Chris Hineline of Bellevue and Cliff Hineline of Duvall; brothers Rod and Gary Hineline of Omaha, Neb.; and 13 grandchildren.

Services are at 4 p.m. today at Cross of Christ Lutheran Church, 411 156th Ave. N.E., Bellevue.

Donations may go to the American Cancer Society, 14450 N.E. 29th Place, Suite 220, Bellevue, WA 98007.

Carole Beers' phone message number is 206-464-2391. Her e-mail address is: cbee-new@seatimes.com