Obituary: Robert Lee Brinkley
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Robert Lee Brinkley, 80, formerly of Harrisburg, passed away at 1:18 p.m. Saturday, May 12, 2012, at Pinebrook Rehab and Healthcare Center in Venice, Fla.
Bob, as we all knew him was born on Aug. 16, 1931, in Muddy to Ernestine (Gardner) Brinkley and James Luther Brinkley. He worked as a mechanic at several auto repair shops and coal mines in Saline County before retiring from the Sarasota County Maintenance Garage in Florida in 1994.
At a young age Bob loved to tinker with things. He took a correspondence course in radio repair; however, he later turned to tinkering with automobiles which he made into his life's work. Bob enjoyed riding motorcycles with a group of friends, often traveling across the country seeing many sites. Bob also enjoyed gardening; he definitely had a green thumb and was very proud of the flower garden outside of his lanai. He enjoyed the butterflies, squirrels, birds and other wildlife that would pass through his garden. He would often give names to the frequent wildlife visitors. He took a special liking to a Blue Jay which he named "Jay." He trained Jay to grab a shelled peanut from his hand. He also had another frequent bird visitor, an Egret that he named "Larry." Larry would frequently show up in front of the garage door begging for food. Bob named a pair of squirrels "George" and "W"; a perfect fit. He enjoyed collecting coins and die-cast cars and trucks as well as delving into genealogy.
On Oct. 16,1950 he married the former Shirley Ann Ratley. Together they had five wonderful children, Connie (Steve) Peyton, Joni (Dave) Hutchcraft, James (Melissa) Brinkley, Terry (Kerry) Brinkley and Becky Brinkley.
On Jan. 15, 1982, he married Elaine Burkhart of Venice, who survives.
Other surviving family members include two sisters, Carsa (Doyle) Hedger of Harrisburg and Mollijean Frazier of Paducah, Ky.; grandchildren, Laurie (Bruce) Barchet, Kim (Josh) Winters, Christie Hutchcraft and Tyler Brinkley; great-grandchildren, Jocelyne Barchet, Jack Barchet, Aiden Winters and Noah Pickering.
He was preceded in death by his parents; first wife, Shirley; brother, Ben Brinkley; sister, Sadie Wasson; brothers-in-law Vernon Wasson, Charlie Stephens and Ralph Frazier; and sister-in-law, Shirley Brinkley.
Bob was a wonderful father, brother, husband and friend. He will be greatly missed. His wishes were to be cremated with his ashes to be scattered in the Gulf of Mexico.