Obituary – Ross Brinkley
Ross Brinkley, 91, passed away peacefully in St. Louis County, on Saturday, July 22, 2023. Ross was born on August 9, 1931, to Warren and Mary (Kirk) Brinkley, in Kimble, Mo. He is survived by his wife, of 68 years, Glenda (nee Harris); daughter, Gloria (Greg) Schuler; and son, Dennis (Cathy) Brinkley; his four grandchildren, whom he adored: Samuel and Sarah Schuler, and Christian and Daniel Brinkley; and many beloved family members. He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Bobbie Jean (Otis) Tripp; half-brother, Howard Brinkley; and stepbrother, Teddy Edwards (Marie).
Ross was a machinist and inspector at McDonnell Douglas for 35 years having worked on the F-4 Phantom II, F-15 Eagle and F-18 Hornet fighter aircraft. He retired as a final quality control inspector responsible for the cockpit.
Ross was a devout Christian who was an active member of First Baptist Church of Crestwood, for 63 years. He was a Master Mason for over 50 years, a Shriner and a 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, and was honored as a Knight Commander of the Court of Honor in 2004 in recognition for his exceptional service to the Rite as a librarian. He volunteered for youth organizations as a Job’s Daughter, DeMolay Advisor and Webelos leader.
He was an avid book reader and read the newspaper every day. As a collector, he enjoyed going to book fairs, garage sales and antique malls. He loved Cardinals baseball and rarely missed watching their games. He also enjoyed traveling, canoeing, fishing, camping, hunting, whittling and planting trees. He left an impact visible from space by planting more than 30,000 pine trees on his family farm near Maples, Mo.
Ross will be remembered for his compassion, selflessness and care for others, whether it was family, friends, co-workers, or strangers and will be dearly missed.
A Memorial Visitation was held Monday, July 31, 2023, and a Funeral service on Tuesday, August 1, 2023, at Chapel Hill Mortuary in Kirkwood, Mo. Interment was Tuesday, August 1, 2023, at Hutchason Cemetery, Highway 63 and Hutchason Road in Kimble, Mo.
In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made in memory of Ross Brinkley to Crestwood Baptist Church for Vacation Bible School https://www.fbccrestwood.org/. To plant a memorial pine tree in a grove in the Sequoia National Forest dedicated to his memory, please visit https://www.treesforachange.com/pages/Ross-Brinkley
Family and friends can review and share stories, photos and condolences online at www.stlfuneral.com.
