Myra Elaine Hinkle

Myra Elaine Hinkle, age 74 of St. Paul’s, North Carolina was born October 7, 1950, and departed this life to her heavenly home on April 23, 2025, at Duke University Medical Center in Durham. 

As a veteran of the US Army, she was a supply clerk and dealt with logistics during the campaign in Vietnam. The army did not know what to do with WACs so Elaine and her fellow female soldiers were sent to Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas as supply clerks. One of her jobs was counting the newborn baby buffalo on the reservation. Later in life, she became the commander of post 5 of the American Legion in St. Paul’s, NC. She wanted to make sure veterans got access to the resources they needed.

After the army, she went to nursing school at FTCC in Fayetteville and became an RN. Elaine was a passionate nurse and caregiver. With her career as a Registered Nurse spanning 40 years, she was able to accomplish many things. She worked in Hospice care, and she was a manager of an assisted living facility as well as a charge nurse for the pediatric psychiatric unit at Cumberland Hospital. With her loving husband James, who is a passionate educator, she opened a 24-hour childcare center and combined their love for education and nursing as Elaine served as CEO and the RN on staff.

In her spare time, she opened a restaurant and later a boutique in downtown St. Paul’s. She said she did not enjoy cooking but was very good at it and she loved to see the look on people’s faces when they were enjoying one of her home cooked meals. This gave her one of her greatest joys in life. She always encouraged others to pursue their goals, had a giving heart and held her family near and dear.

She was preceded in death by her father Byron “Buck” Porter, her mother Opal Porter, and her brothers Richard and Jerry Porter. 

She leaves behind her Husband James Hinkle, her son Ian “Sloan” Hinkle, her niece Shannon Porter Walton, and many great nieces and nephews as well as grandchildren. 

The family will receive visitors at McNeill-Legacy Funeral Home in St. Pauls NC from 2-3pm on Saturday, May 3rd for a visitation with a Celebration of Life being held immediately following the visitation.

Services trusted to McNeill-Legacy Funeral Home of St. Pauls.