Obituary of Francis Joseph Brinkman, Jr.

Francis Joseph Brinkman, Jr., of Camp Verde, Arizona, was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on July 11, 1926 and passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, January 26, 2022 at age 95.

Frank joined the Navy on July 10, 1944 at age 17 and was discharged on June 17, 1946. He was reactivated for the Korean Conflict on January 3, 1951 and discharged on November 20, 1952, serving in Reserves between WWII and Korea and until retiring on July 11, 1986, having served 41 years, 6 months, and 13 days. He was an active member of the American Legion for 75 years and a longtime member of Veterans of Foreign Wars.

In 1963, Frank married Shirley Lydic and they produced three children: Kara Brinkman, Francis Brinkman III (deceased), and Kenneth Brinkman. After the children came, they bought their first home in the Sunnyslope area of Phoenix. Frank, a lifelong Catholic, became active in the local Catholic Church, where he was involved in St. Vincent de Paul, Men’s Club Bingo and many special functions until moving to Camp Verde in 2004.

As the children reached scouting ages, Frank and Shirley became leaders in Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts, serving our youth for over 40 years. Frank and two friends were the designated cooks for the boy scouts and special church functions for many years.

A Funeral Mass will be held at 11:00AM Saturday, February 5, 2022 at St. Francis Cabrini Catholic Church in Camp Verde, Arizona.  Interment will be at 10:30AM Tuesday, February 8, 2022 at National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona in Phoenix, Arizona. 

The family requests that donations be made to the St. Vincent de Paul Society in lieu of flowers.