John Worley Hinkel Jr.

John Worley Hinkel, Jr (Jack), died peacefully at home on Saturday, April 25, 2015, after cheating death numerous times and making miraculous recoveries through the years. His stubborn nature and sheer will to live kept him going strong for a long time, but he finally lost his battle with cancer.

Jack was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky on November 6, 1940 to John and Peggy Hinkel, and spent his early life in West Lawn, Pennsylvania. He lived in Richmond, VA and Atlanta, GA before settling in Raleigh, NC in the late 60s. He served in the US Army Reserves and Corps of Engineers, and went on to have a varied and interesting career path.

He is survived by his loving family: Barbara Ragsdale Hinkel, his wife of nearly 30 years; his daughter Jacqueline Hinkel Sinicrope and son-in-law David Sinicrope; his son John Robert Hinkel and daughter-in-law Cerisa Flatten Hinkel; and the two grandchildren that he adored, Elisabeth Anne Sinicrope and Gavin John Hinkel; his brother and sister-in-law, Ron and Karen Hinkel. In addition, he was lucky to have countless dear friends, caregivers, and extended family, especially Betsy and Art Stratemeyer, Becky and Mike Sterling, Trish Orr and Cody Cook, Jeff and Hook Horton, and many caring neighbors.

Jack had a kind, generous nature and a great sense of humor, as well as an amazing memory of his lifetime of experiences and adventures. He loved pranks and jokes, Halloween, and general mischief making. After retiring, he turned a passion for woodworking into a second career, and created many beautiful, finely crafted pieces that will be cherished by their owners. His final act of generosity was to donate his body to the UNC Medical School in Chapel Hill, and if he could manage it, he would love nothing more than to arrange a spring-loaded stretcher to scare the wits out of some unsuspecting medical student.

A memorial service will be held to remember and celebrate his life. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to the charity of your choice. Transitions LifeCare (Hospice of Wake County) provided the most amazing end of life care, and Jack also liked donating to charities that assist Veterans, as well as UNC Public TV.