Joel M. Brinkley

J l Michael Brinkley, 41, of Longmont was born in Wichita, Kansas on March 21, 1978. Soon after his birth, his parents, Torrey and Vicky Brinkley, took their children, and went off to serve as church planters with the Mennonite Brethren Missions & Services in Spain. On the airplane ride over to Spain, J l was seen by actor Ricardo Montalban. J l attended the American School of Madrid, and later Kings College, where his class once greeted the Queen of England. Part of his youth was spent traveling all over Spain, which was full of mountains and real castles. He also visited France's historic landmarks; the ancient Roman aqueducts; Portugal's creative fishing and expeditionary ships; England's castles and museums; and Switzerland's tall mountains. There were also trips back and forth across the USA, from New York to California. He formed a whole new persona upon coming back to the US in 1990, and made new lifelong friends, with whom he enjoyed climbing, snow fun and various trips. J l mastered many skills, and even helped manage a Game Force video game store while in high school. He also promoted many computer games and gaming systems fresh from Japan.He formed Little People Productions soon thereafter. He was a record spinner; organized many concerts and Raves in the Denver-Boulder area; and encouraged many others to pursue this youth entertainment.J l had amazing computer skills, and could fix or rebuild them to suit any need. He put some of his creations on Youtube and encouraged his nephew, Damien, to do the same.....which efforts have blessed many observers.J l also learned cinema projection, and was the lead projectionist for Boulder's Present Tense Film series, with Dr. Ellen Maslow (daughter of the famous Abraham Maslow). This endeavor was supported by the Jarrod Polis Foundation. Later on, J l was the main projectionist for the Boulder Outdoor Cinema for several summers.One could only be impressed when listening to J l's music, as he played his guitar and sang songs that almost replicated the exact sounds of Bob Dylan. J l enjoyed living with his two cousins, Scott Brines and Adrian Martinez, in Los Angeles for a while; and resided in downtown Boulder, Colorado and downtown Denver, Colorado. He helped his father do research on 5 class action lawsuits for automotive safety issues, aiding Litigation Support Services of Southern California.J l also developed his own style of artwork after a trip to Barcelona, Spain, captivated by the amazing Gaudi. Several of J l's art and photography pieces are on display and have toured around Italy, which he donated for a little boy with an incurable disease. After he contracted M.S. in 2007, he enjoyed photography, being fascinated by Rocky Mountain grandeur and God's beauty displayed in colorful flowers. He studied astronomy, enjoyed the Denver Nuggets basketball team, and raced computer game sports cars, which he was able to decorate with his artistic skills.J l was baptized in a Berthoud, Colorado park swimming pool by Grace Place Church, where he faithfully attended men's Bible studies. He also served in a new youth-oriented church, Blue Sky, in downtown Loveland, Colorado, and attended Abundant Life Church in Mead, Colorado the last few years. Several have stated that he was bold in sharing his faith in Jesus, no matter the personal cost.J l has been blessed and gave much of his attention to nephew, Damien Kinsley; and nieces Rebecca, Ariana and Skylar. They will carry his memory with them. He has been graciously treated and helped by many precious care givers in the past few years, and graced by visits and outings with other dear friends that sustained him during this tough journey with a cruel illness.J l is also survived by his parents, Torrey and Victoria; two brothers, Jon Brinkley and Jason (Deanna) Brinkley; aunts, Kathlene Henry Gorman and Allison Henry Plotts, both of central California; plus several other California, Michigan, Wyoming and Illinois relatives. Uncle Manuel Puentes of San Diego, California blessed J l with a long personal phone call on the 1st of every month for 5 years of J l's long illness, fulfilling God's admonition for us to continually encourage one another.There will be a Memorial Service to celebrate J l's Life on Saturday, February 29, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. at Abundant Life Church; 4380 Highway 66; Mead, Colorado 80542