Ernest Verl Rhine

May 17, 1918 – February 25, 2017

Ernest (Ernie) Verl Rhine, a native San Franciscan, passed away surrounded by his loved ones in his home in San Francisco where he resided for the last 58 years. He was born at Children’s Hospital in San Francisco on May 17, 1918 to Irving Walter Rhine and Minrose (Minnie) Harris. Ernie was preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Estelle Mouradian Rhine (19211999) and his two younger brothers, Gilbert Howard Rhine and Norman Earl Rhine. Ernie graduated from Commerce High School in 1936 and shortly thereafter moved to Los Angeles to pursue additional education in the medical field. While in school he supported himself by working in the Optical business. This was the place where Ernie excelled and received an optical education. Over the next several years he was trained in every aspect and capacity of the business while working there.

In 1939 Ernie moved back to San Francisco. While playing tennis at Alamo Square park he met Estelle Mouradian, daughter of Soghomon and Esther Mouradian. Their first date was on New Year’s Eve 1940 and they became engaged five short months later. Estelle and Ernie were married on June 11, 1944 when Ernie returned stateside during WWII. While overseas he served with the Flying Tigers as a Medic in the Army Air Corp in the China, Burma and India theatre of war.

After the war, he honed his optical skills even more. With his extensive experience and entrepreneurial spirit he opened Paramount Optical Co. on April 1, 1949. Immediately, Ernie established a reputation that was revered and admired across industry standards for 51 years. His customers came from across this nation to be fit with contact lenses, fashion forward frames and medically accurate eyeglass lenses. They also came to purchase binoculars, telescopes, opera glasses, monocles and a vast variety of other specialty optical goods. His customer service and work ethic was well known and his customer loyalty unparalleled. He took many continuing education courses over the years to stay current in fitting contact lenses and learning about better products and new technology. Anyone who worked with him appreciated his expertise as a consummate and extraordinarily knowledgeable and gifted professional. Especially in the first 25 years of business he had an extensive selection of children’s eyewear and was one of the City’s forerunners in helping little ones to adjust to wearing eyeglasses and even contact lenses. He served families through many generations. He deeply cared about and took an interest in each person he would meet along life’s path.

As a business owner with great integrity he wanted to give quality, value and selection to his clientele. A distinguishing characteristic of Paramount Optical Co. was the “lab on the premises” so that the simplest prescriptions could be filled expeditiously. He also kept a rather large inventory so he could attempt to meet the needs of each customer without much delay. Customer Service all the way!

To really know Ernie was to love Ernie! He had great comedic timing, could tell a joke with ease and never forgot a punchline and was quite charming as a “punmeister”. He was athletic and participated in many sports. He played tennis until the age of 92. As a youth he could be seen roller skating across the City on ball bearing metal skates.

He was a voracious reader and loved crossword puzzles. He relaxed while fishing, gardening, and making friends with the squirrels and birds that entered his yard. He collected stamps, played dominoes and monopoly. Card games such as bridge, cribbage and pinochle brought him great pleasure as well as a challenging game of Scrabble, anagrams, or any word game for that matter. He also made decadent ice creams and delectable stews and sautés.

Over the decades, Ernie attended church regularly, served where needed and studied the Bible. He was very generous with his time, talent and treasure. He loved to serve others. Since retirement at age 80, he enjoyed the time he spent with his new friends at Temple Baptist Senior Center every Monday for lunch. He found great hope and solace in his faith in Jesus which helped him through so many health trials and tribulations. His life was challenging from a young age but his faith kept him joyous, hope-filled, courageous, and a fighter with a warrior spirit. His sense of humor kept him buoyant through the storms.

Six months after his wife, Estelle, passed away, Ernie retired and closed his Optical company on Jan.31, 2000. That same day he was met with a diagnosis of terminal cancer. Miraculously, in Feb. 2001 he was accepted into a clinical study for his unusual cancer and was in remission by May 2001. This extended his life for another 16 years.

In March of 2004 Ernie met Lydia who would become his second wife. They were married in April 2005. Over the last 13 years they created a life together filled with numerous outings and activities that are lovely memories to be cherished.

Ernest is survived by his dear wife Lydia M. Rhine, his steadfast, loving only daughter, Kimberly Rhine Gagosian and the rock of the family, his loyal son-inlaw, Ronald K. Gagosian. He is the uncle of several nieces and nephews from the Rhine, Van Hise, and Scott families and is the brother-in-law to Charline Rhine (Norman’s wife). His immediate family grew to include Lydia’s very large family and her three grown children, Alex, Lisa and Gregory (Lucy) Vasquez.

Our family would like to extend their deepest thanks to the Pathways hospice medical team during Ernie’s last ten days, the many Supple caregivers, as well as the numerous medical professionals in and out of Ernie’s life and home over the past 17 years.

A very special thank you to Dr. George A. Fisher Jr. , Stanford Oncologist, without whom we would not have had the opportunity to put Ernie on a clinical study at OHSU in Portland, OR. Thank you, OHSU. Lastly, a very special thank you to all the UCSF medical staff and team who supported us throughout decades of care.

Ernie’s life will be celebrated at Temple Baptist Church at 3365 19th Avenue in San Francisco at 11:00 am on April 4, 2017. The Committal will immediately follow at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park at 1370 El Camino Real, Colma, CA.

The family suggests donations signifying Ernest’s name to his beloved causes:

Mount Hermon Christian Camps and Conference Center, Campership Fund, PO Box 413, Mount Hermon, Ca 95041;

Temple Baptist Church, Senior Center, 3365 19th Ave., San Francisco, CA 94132; Guide Dogs for the Blind PO Box 3950 San Rafael, CA 94912