November 10, 1935 - January 16, 2023
Jim Obituary At age 87, Husband, Father, Grandfather, James Frederick Brinkman, MD, quietly passed on January 16, 2023, surrounded by his family. He was born to parents, Frederick C. and Cleo (Baggett) Brinkman on November 10, 1935, in Wichita, Kanas. The second of 6 children, he grew up on a dairy farm, educated in a one room school house, graduated high school in Corona, CA. He attended Kansas State University for one year, joined the Air Force, serving as a medic in Alaska and Alabama. With each move he met men who encouraged him to �look ahead.� Taking this to heart, he went on to earn a BA in Chemistry at the University of Kansas, and an MD at Kansas University School of Medicine, and Interned at Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane WA. Again, he was encouraged to �look ahead� and completed residencies in both General and Plastic Surgery and a Fellowship in Hand Surgery at the University of Kentucky. While at Kansas University, he met Mary Lou Ruckdashel, they married in 1961 welcoming three children before returning to Spokane to set up private practice. The strong medical community and the proximity of three ski mountains made Spokane an easy choice. Family skiing became his passion, second only to medicine and his patients. He was a member of multiple professional Societies, an Associate Professor for the University of Washington and collaborated with the Washington State University Veterinary School to share his expertise and surgical techniques for the care of injured horses and dogs. He held a deep gratitude for the mentors in his life and shared their inspiration whenever he was in the company of others. Retiring in 2000, he continued as a Consultant for the State of Washington Injured Worker Program. He volunteered on two medical missions to Nalta, Bangladesh, performing surgical repairs for burn victims and became an active member of the Spokane Valley Lions club as their Sight Chairman. He will be remembered by his family and friends as a happy man, always smiling, generous, kind and a devoted family man. His passion for medicine, his patients, his children and grandchildren, skiing until age 82, and his intellectual thirst for history meant he was never without a story to share. He was an avid fan of Gonzaga Basketball. He especially enjoyed the challenging adventures found only in our Pacific Northwest such as climbing Mt. Rainier, fly fishing our local rivers, fishing for salmon in the ocean or in Alaska, snow skiing out of bounds with the grandkids in tow, spending his summers on Lake Coeur d�Alene, riding the waves on his Seadoo and drinking G&T�s at sunset with his friends was the best of times. James is survived by his loving wife, Mary Lou, his children, D. Scott Brinkman, Mark F. Brinkman MD (Mary), and Jennifer E. Brinkman, his Grandchildren, Tessa, Tucker, Vaughn, Cole and Greer, sisters JoAnn Boone, Deanna Haufler and brother Gary Brinkman and multiple cousins, nieces and nephews. Preceding him in death were his parents, sister Dorothy Hester and brother Morris Brinkman � To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Jim, please visit our Tree Store. Read more Events FEB 25 Memorial Service Saturday, February 25, 2023 1:00PM Heritage Funeral & Cremation 508 North Government Way Spokane, WA 99224 Get Directions View Map Text Email Followed by a reception at Her
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