John Brinkman

John started his education at Grant School, and later transferred to Washington School after the family moved to 9th and Bell (the day before Pearl Harbor). The Bell Avenue neighborhood had about ten athletically inclined boys, all about two or three years older than John. Washington School, End Park, the street, and the garage basketball hoops were the playgrounds. John was a 1953 graduate of North High School where he played Varsity Basketball and Baseball.

Besides the Bell Avenue neighborhood, two other special childhood memories were August of 1945, when John and a friend “hawked” special edition Sheboygan Press newspapers at the old Rex Theatre (on the corner of 8th street and Ontario Avenue) celebrating the end of WWII. Also May 8th, 1948, when he entered and won a city wide pentathlon track meet (five events) in his division at Kiwanis Park, leading 85 other boys.

In 1954 John enlisted in the US Navy and after boot camp went on to damage control school in Philadelphia. After graduation, his first choice was the USS Mindoro CVE-120. The ship was later put out of commission, so in August of 1955 he was transferred to the USS Bennington CVA-20. On the 17th of September the ship anchored on the equator and John was initiated into the Solemn Mysteries of the Ancient Order of the Deep by Neptune’s Rex, Ruler of the Raging Main. The ship then went on to its home port of San Diego, California and then on to Japan. After honorable discharge from the Navy, John returned to Sheboygan to start a new life.

John started working for the Jerry Donohue Engineering Company in 1957. He was part of the construction survey crew, resident engineer in airport construction projects and airport and municipal design.

In September, 1957 John married Darlene LaPean at Holy Name Church and they raised four daughters. In 1973 John became Director of Public Works for the Village of Kohler. In 1978 he married Barbara Kroll Torrison and they moved to the city of Lake Geneva where he became Director of Public Works. In 1982 John left the engineering business and he and Barbara moved to Milwaukee where John went on to work for Roundy’s Foods until his retirement in November 2000. Two days after retirement they moved back to Sheboygan to be closer to family and friends.

Upon returning to Sheboygan, John joined St. Dominic Parish, the grounds crew, the Sheboygan County Old-timers Baseball Association, and the Legends Golf Club. He and Barb were regular members of the North High Class of “53” Alumni Breakfast Club.

John is survived by his wife, Barbara, his daughters, Patti Brinkman (Paul) Gollner and son Jon Gollner, Kate (Tom) Hauert, Amy (Mark) Sagal and sons Jacob and Cole, all of Sheboygan, and Mary (Kym) Davis and children Bejya and Kalyb of Mesa, Arizona. He is also survived by stepsons, Scott (Mary Lu) Torrison and their children, Christopher and Elizabeth of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Greg (Kim) Torrison and their children, Leah, Chad, and Abbey of Greenwood, Indiana. John is further survived by two brothers, Jim (Sharon) Brinkman, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Tom (Barbara) Brinkman, Henderson, North Carolina, one brother-in-law, Gene Worscheck, San Diego, California, one sister-in-law, Kathryn Jesinski, Lakewood, WI, his former wife, Darlene Raml, Sheboygan, many nieces and nephews, other relatives, and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Gordon and Ruth Brinkman, his sister, Janet Brinkman Worscheck, his niece, Gail Worscheck Sullivan, his brother-in-law, James Jesinski, and an infant granddaughter, Andrea Gollner.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, August 2 at 12:00 at St. Dominic Catholic Church, 2113 N. 22nd Street with the Rev. Phil Reifenberg

As the Celebrant.. Family and friends may call at the church on Thursday, August 2 from

10:00 a.m. until the time of service. A private family committal service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice or the Charity of your choice.

John’s family would like to thank Dr. Marshall Matthews and the staff at Matthews Oncology Associates, the Doctors and staff at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, Madison, and the staff at the Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice for their care and dedication.