Army pilot, firefighter, husband father remembered at memorial service
WORTH TWP — Chris Hinkle grew from an unpolished young man to a firefighter, husband and father who fulfilled his lifelong dream of becoming a Black Hawk helicopter pilot.
Hinkle of Slippery Rock, who died Aug. 17 while living in Japan, was honored Saturday at a memorial service at Lakeview Beach in Moriane State Park.
In a eulogy for his brother, Todd Hinkle said Chris was a little rough around the edges as a young man. He said Chris wore skull earrings and a bandanna, and sported long hair.
He said he had concerns over how Chris would conform in the Army, but he completed basic training.
“When he was at work, he was 100% soldier. When he was home, he was 100% dad,” Todd said.
He said he and Chris stayed connected by phone and internet while he was away.
On Aug. 16, Todd said he received phone call from Chris’ wife, Angelia, saying Chris was in a hospital and had one or two days left to live.
“Our world stopped,” Todd said.
Chris didn’t tell his family back home that he had cancer.
“He didn’t want us to worry,” Todd said.
Family members took turns talking to him on the phone, he said. Chris died the next day. He said he misses his brother.
“Chris was my best friend,” Todd said.
A 1989 graduate of Slippery Rock High School, Hinkle went on to become a founding member of Portersville/Muddy Creek EMS and was a lifetime member of Portersville/Muddy Creek Volunteer Fire Department.
He joined the Army in 1996 and rose through the ranks to become an airborne infantryman stationed at Fort Bragg. He went into long-range surveillance, then went to Ranger school.
He was promoted to the rank of E-6, or officer first class, in four years, and graduated from Ranger school in 2001 to become a pilot. He retired as Chief Warrant Officer 4.
Hinkle flew numerous missions in Iraq and Afghanistan during his 20 years with the Army, earning two Bronze Stars and several other awards.
Doctors discovered that he had colon cancer in June 2021. The cancer was already in phase four and led to his death.
He and wife Angelia had been together for more than 26 years and have four children — Joey, Bryan, Aiden and Kiyomi. The family moved to Japan in 2012, when Chris was still in active duty. He retired while in Japan in 2016, and took a job as director of a training support center, training Japanese and American soldiers.
County Commissioner Kevin Boozel, a volunteer firefighter in Harrisville and a father of two sons serving in the military, read a proclamation from the commissioners declaring Aug. 17, 2022 as Christopher Brian Hinkle Day in the county.
He also announced that a service honoring fallen county veterans will be held at Alameda Park on Oct. 28.
