Jason C. Hinkle

When Jason C. Hinkle walked into the room, those in his company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Jay was and how he impacted those around him. Jay was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Jay wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Jay was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve him well throughout his life.

      Jay was born on March 14, 1972 at St. Francis Hospital in Blue Island, Illinois. He was the son of Cleon and Eileen Hinkle. Jay was raised in Downers Grove, Illinois. Always at the ready with a good joke, he grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Jay might describe him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that Jay was always in pursuit of life's endless possibilities and opportunities available to him.

      Jay was raised with three siblings. He had two younger brothers, Anson and Clayton and one younger sister, Allison. Jay was very accepting and supportive of his family. He was perceived as the central person in his family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Jay was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Jay well in his adult life and, along with his wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew him.

      As a young boy, Jay was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Jay was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with his peers. He was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Jay took part in baseball and gymnastics. He was a boy scout. In his spare time he liked skateboarding. Jay's memorable achievements included receiving an award for a young authors competition. Jay had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity he and the many childhood friends he shared might discover.

      During his high school years, Jay responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. He graduated from Downers Grove North High School in 1990. Jay was a very good student, and generally did well in his courses. Jay absorbed as much as he could from all of his teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using his imagination to master his assignments. For Jay, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to his ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Jay a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to him to discuss just about anything.

      With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought him an endless stream of friends, Jay was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Jay was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. He always seemed aware of what was going on with people around him and throughout his life he made many, many friends. While growing up,one of his best friends was Rob Pascente.

      On May 23, 1998 Jay married Juliet Gadbois. Jay's skill at "building bridges" played an important role in his ability to make his new family happy. He was quite sensitive towards Juliet's needs, showing his constant concern and fondness. Jay was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served him well in helping to nurture his family.

      Jay was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide his family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Jay, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of his life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Hinkle home. Jay's skill at understanding his children's feelings, his sensitivity to their needs, and his gift for gentle persuasion enabled him to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Jay and Julie were blessed with two children, Chase and Anna.

      Jay was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life's possibilities, traits that made him an exceptional worker. His primary occupation was as a Senior Account Representative. He was employed for 15 years at Ace Graphics, a printing company. Jay was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize him. Jay had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of his gift for insight. Jay's fellow workers saw him as a supporter and a mentor.

      Because Jay loved to have a broad variety of activities in his life, he took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. His favorite pursuits were fishing, photography and taking care of his family. Jay had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of his favorite pastimes. However, Jay's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

      Jay derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. His charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. In high school, Jay participated in gymnastics and liked skateboarding. Jay was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity.

      Jay's love of improvising in his daily life was a perfect fit for his enjoyment of traveling. His favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit his personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Jay took his vacations seriously, well, as seriously as he possibly could. Favorite vacations included beaches. It really didn't matter what beach, as long as Jay could spend time on the sand.

      Jay was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. During his life, he enjoyed Shadow, a cat and Xena, a dog. Jay and Shadow were best friends for 20 years.

       To the shock and sadness of all who knew him, Jay suffered trauma due to an automobile injury from which he was not able to recover. He is survived by his loving wife, Julie; his beloved children, Chase and Annalise; his devoted parents, Eileen and Cleon; his dear siblings, Anson, Clayton and Allison; and a host of other family and friends.

A visitation will be held Sunday from 2 till 8 pm, with a funeral service Sunday at 6 pm at Blake-Lamb Funeral Home, 5015 Lincoln Avenue, Lisle, Illinois (on Rt. 53, 1/2 mile south of Ogden Ave. / Rt. 34).

      There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Jay. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While he was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Jay Hinkle for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Jay was always more than willing to share life's experiences with his loved ones.