Dr John W. Rhinehart Dies At 69

John Woodward Rhinehart, MD, 69, a 42-year resident of Newtown, died on Saturday, April 15, at his daughter’s home near Austin, Texas, after a three-month illness.

Born May 1, 1930, in New York City, he was the son of Archie Edward Rhinehart and Helen Marie Updegrove. He was preceded in death by his wife Suzanne (Hafford) Rhinehart. They married June 4, 1955, at St John’s Church in New Rochelle, N.Y., and honeymooned on Cape Cod.

Dr Rhinehart was raised in Riverdale and Bronxville, N.Y., graduating from Columbia College and New York Medical School at Flower and Fifth Ave Hospital in Manhattan. Dr Rhinehart practiced psychiatry using a holistic approach to wellness. He started his career at Fairfield Hills Hospital in Newtown, where he was supervisor of the psychiatric resident staff from 1959 to 1978. He later moved his practice to his mid-18th century residence on West Street, where he practiced for the rest of his career.

He established the Deep Brook Center, a holistic healing center, where, as part of his psychiatric-medical practice, he also did nutritional counseling. In 1981 he was named director of the Nutritional Counseling Service of Dallas, Texas. He also hosted a local access cable television show.

As one of the first area doctors to promote the practice of holistic medicine, Dr Rhinehart was the subject of several feature articles in The Bee in the 1980s.

He is survived by a daughter, Lee Rhinehart Charlton of Manor, Texas; a son, Ben Rhinehart of Bloomington, Indiana, and eight grandchildren. Lee Rhinehart Charlton and her husband, Duncan, have three children: Rian, Casey, and Benjamin Charlton. Ben Rhinehart and his wife Barbara have five children: Stephanie, Sean, Avery, Adam, and Isabel Rhinehart.

There will be a memorial service in Newtown during the first week of August, the exact date and time to be announced.

The Newtown Bee         April 21, 2000