Obituary for James "Jim" B. Rinkavage
The soul of James Rinkavage, 81, departed the confines of his weary body on Saturday, December 1, 2018.
Jim was born in Waterbury, CT, on December 7, 1936, the eldest son of the late Peter and Julia (Swedock) Rinkavage. Jim graduated from Port Jervis High School in Port Jervis, NY, in 1954 before enlisting in the U.S. Army. Jim loved to reminisce about his time in the Army, especially the splendor of Mt. Fuji and the abundance of food served in the mess hall. Honorably discharged from the Army in 1957, Jim eventually ended up in Connecticut by following wherever the work went. Jim ultimately settled into a career as on offset stripper in the printing industry. Jim took great pleasure in singing for anyone if not just to himself, playing the guitar, writing songs, and trying to be an active member of whichever church that he and his family belonged to at any particular time. Jim also enjoyed helping his children by working on their houses, whether it was refinishing furniture, painting, or embarking on various woodworking projects. Jim accepted Jesus later in life, and from that point on he tried to follow Christ’s example in his daily actions and he strove to train up his children in the way that they should go.
To sum up the life of a man, of anyone that you loved dearly, is nearly impossible in the space of a column of print. All that can ultimately be written is that he will be missed, mourned, and remembered fondly.
Jim is survived by his wife of 50 years, Carol (nee Coates), and their six children: Jennifer Denney and her husband H. Clet Denney of Alpharetta, GA; Rebecca Tharaldson and her husband Eric of Windsor Locks, CT; Sarah Blumenfeld and her husband Jeremy of Canton, CT; Matthew Rinkavage of West Springfield, MA; Andrew Rinkavage of West Springfield, MA; and, Thomas Rinkavage and his wife Christina Coston of Baltimore, MD. Jim also leaves behind his sister Rita Redican of Meriden, CT; his brother Peter Rink of Fayetteville, NC; his cherished grandchildren Hannah, Sean, Noah, Shiloh, Logan, and Brooklyn; and, his nieces Paula Iwanski and her husband Rob of Orlando, FL, and Laura Stanton and her partner Paul Evarts of Meriden, CT. Jim was predeceased by his parents, Peter and Julia, and his brothers, Raymond and Gary.
Per Jim’s wishes, friends and relatives are invited to join his family for a memorial service on Saturday, December 8th at 11a.m. at Calvary Presbyterian Church in Enfield at 1518 King St. with the burial to follow with full military honors in the Enfield Street Cemetery.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, anyone who wishes to honor Jim’s memory may make a donation to Enfield Loaves and Fishes, P.O. Box 544 Enfield, CT 06083-0544. Browne Memorial Chapels, Enfield is assisting the family with arrangements. To leave an online condolence message or more information visit: www.brownememorialchapels.com.
Jim was born in Waterbury, CT, on December 7, 1936, the eldest son of the late Peter and Julia (Swedock) Rinkavage. Jim graduated from Port Jervis High School in Port Jervis, NY, in 1954 before enlisting in the U.S. Army. Jim loved to reminisce about his time in the Army, especially the splendor of Mt. Fuji and the abundance of food served in the mess hall. Honorably discharged from the Army in 1957, Jim eventually ended up in Connecticut by following wherever the work went. Jim ultimately settled into a career as on offset stripper in the printing industry. Jim took great pleasure in singing for anyone if not just to himself, playing the guitar, writing songs, and trying to be an active member of whichever church that he and his family belonged to at any particular time. Jim also enjoyed helping his children by working on their houses, whether it was refinishing furniture, painting, or embarking on various woodworking projects. Jim accepted Jesus later in life, and from that point on he tried to follow Christ’s example in his daily actions and he strove to train up his children in the way that they should go.
To sum up the life of a man, of anyone that you loved dearly, is nearly impossible in the space of a column of print. All that can ultimately be written is that he will be missed, mourned, and remembered fondly.
Jim is survived by his wife of 50 years, Carol (nee Coates), and their six children: Jennifer Denney and her husband H. Clet Denney of Alpharetta, GA; Rebecca Tharaldson and her husband Eric of Windsor Locks, CT; Sarah Blumenfeld and her husband Jeremy of Canton, CT; Matthew Rinkavage of West Springfield, MA; Andrew Rinkavage of West Springfield, MA; and, Thomas Rinkavage and his wife Christina Coston of Baltimore, MD. Jim also leaves behind his sister Rita Redican of Meriden, CT; his brother Peter Rink of Fayetteville, NC; his cherished grandchildren Hannah, Sean, Noah, Shiloh, Logan, and Brooklyn; and, his nieces Paula Iwanski and her husband Rob of Orlando, FL, and Laura Stanton and her partner Paul Evarts of Meriden, CT. Jim was predeceased by his parents, Peter and Julia, and his brothers, Raymond and Gary.
Per Jim’s wishes, friends and relatives are invited to join his family for a memorial service on Saturday, December 8th at 11a.m. at Calvary Presbyterian Church in Enfield at 1518 King St. with the burial to follow with full military honors in the Enfield Street Cemetery.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, anyone who wishes to honor Jim’s memory may make a donation to Enfield Loaves and Fishes, P.O. Box 544 Enfield, CT 06083-0544. Browne Memorial Chapels, Enfield is assisting the family with arrangements. To leave an online condolence message or more information visit: www.brownememorialchapels.com.