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Robert Brinkerhoff Obituary
March 28, 1934 - June 6, 2009
Bob Brinkerhoff of San Jose, died peacefully at home June 6, 2009, after a short illness, at the age of 75. A beloved school administrator, teacher and coach, he recently retired from the Franklin-McKinley School District after serving 42 years in education.
Bob is survived by his wife Kit and six sons, Matthew and Nicholas of San Jose, Patrick (Jacqueline) of Arizona, Christian (Lyn) of Virginia, Aaron (Mary) of San Rafael, Eric (Debbie) of Kansas, three grandchildren (Jason, Alisha, Catalina), and eight great grand children (Julianna, Erica, Bo, Mateus, Joey, Adra, Jayson, Jayden).
Born and raised in California, Bob graduated from Shasta High School in Redding, Shasta College and Chico State University. After serving in the Army he began his teaching career in northern California before moving to San Jose. He was an educational leader and a passionate advocate for teachers and students as an administrator and classroom teacher. He shared his life passions, of reading, humor, art, music and sports with his children, grandchildren and many friends.
A memorial service will be held Monday, June 15, 3:00 p.m., at the First Congregational Church of San Jose, 1980 Hamilton Ave. There will be a reception at the Brinkerhoff home following the service.
The family suggests memorial donations be made to the VISTA Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired (www:vistacenter.org), Hospice of the Valley (hospicevalley.org) or any youth sports organization.
Please sign the guestbook at http://obituaries.redding.com
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Robert Brinkerhoff
Sponsored by The Brinkerhoff Family.
Jessenia Serrano
September 20, 2022
He was my 6th grade teacher at Kennedy, I was just remembering about him so i J looked him up.... Didn´t know he passed away. :( Best teacher I´ve ever had. I am now 34 years old ....and I still remember him.
Gary and Carla Manprin
June 17, 2009
May the love of friends and family carry you through your grief.
Chuck Hendrix
June 16, 2009
June 16th, 2009
My sympathy to the entire Brinkerhoff family. Bob was and is one of the great guys in my memory bank.
Ross Jackson
June 16, 2009
I can't imagine a better tribute to a teacher than the one by Crystle Vina on these pages.
Henry Adams said, "A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops."
You're not around anymore, Bob, but some of what you did with your life will go on....and on....and on.....
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Ricky Perez
June 15, 2009
Bob was a mentor,colleague fellow sports buff, but most importantly, my friend.
One last time Bob, Go Niners!
I miss you already dear friend.
Laurie Sillas-Mesa
June 15, 2009
I was so sorry to hear about your loss. A great loss for all of us that he touched. I will always remember the days at Franklin McKinnley where Mr. Brinkerhoff always had a smiling face and words of encouragement. He always made you want to do better and believed in all of us that he taught. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Crystle Vina
June 15, 2009
Mr. Brinkerhoff was my sixth grade teacher over at Kennedy in 1995 and he was one of the greatest. I read about his life story in the paper a few weeks ago and I wanted to write him a letter, I waited too long. Then I got a phone call from my mom and she said she read that he passed away. What a great loss for this world. What a great loss for the students who will never know him. I wanted to go to the services, but didnt get around to looking them up until right now. I waited too long for that too. Mr. Brinkerhoff wouldnt expect anything else from me. When I was in his class we had "Catch-up Days" on Friday (we always called them "kethcup days"), for all of us slacker kids to do all the stuff we should have done all week long, I used to make great use of those days and every week Mr. Brinkerhoff would tell me that I should have had all this done a long time ago.
Mr. Brinkerhoff was amazing because all of his students (even the rotten ones) knew he was there for you and knew he really wanted you to do well. He always made sure we had our PE, which was usually basketball :)
He was very kind, but strong and knew how to put his foot down. I remember doing D.A.R.E. with him and how he used to tell us that drugs were the fastest way to wreck our lives. He would have been happy to know that I have never even smoked a cigarette.
I didnt realize how much he taught me until I was reading about his birth story in the paper and realized he hadnt a clue where he came from or who he came from. It dawned on me that maybe he had the upper hand by not knowing, he didnt know so he just was who he was and that was that. To his students he was special and I am sure he was to all of the people in his life as well. I am about to be twenty-six years old and I have had more teachers and professors that I can keep track of, but he is certainly one that I have never, nor will I ever, forget.
Every grape tootsie pop will make me think of him, every time I hear The Beach Boys, every time I write 'dose' instead of 'does', and everytime I have a ketchup day (yes I still do them and they usually are on Friday) I will think of him and how lucky we all were to have had him in our lives for however long he was in them.
I hope as you read this from heaven, Mr. Brinkerhoff you don't get too upset over my lack of paragraphs or correct puncuation and I hope you know how great you were to us.
To the family...be as strong as you can be. You are in my prayers.
June 14, 2009
Our love and prayers are with your family now. We loved him and we love you.
The Dawkins Family
Norma Teel
June 14, 2009
May your hearts soon be filled with wonderful memories of joyful times together as you celebrate a life well lived.
Sanford/William Logan/Boudreau
June 14, 2009
Words Cannot Express...
Life's illusive forms are strange, and many.
Look around the world; look around your mind.
Death is not one of these finite illusions:
For every spiritual death, there occurs a physical birth.
For every physical death, there occurs a spiritual birth.
It would seem, therefore, we are immortal.
Energy does not cease to exist; it merely changes form.
If we are left behind, or exist on a different energy plane,
Then we suffer absence and loss;
We mourn.
To revel in joy for all the births, and all the deaths, is to let go,
So that at some point in time,
We will all reunite and celebrate the reunion.
...William 4/19/1990
Our love, comfort, and prayers are with you, especially more now, and, as always...Sanford and William.
Ron Manprin
June 14, 2009
Dear Kit and Family,
May your hearts soon be filled with wonderful memories of joyful times together as you celebrate a life well lived. See you soon.
Love, Ron and Sharon Manprin
Jeff & Paula Angstadt
June 14, 2009
My thoughts and prayers are with you in your time of grief. May your memories bring you comfort.
Allen Friebel
June 13, 2009
I remember Bob as a classmate and friend at SUHS so many years ago. Our paths crossed in San Jose as I was teaching at San Jose State and Bob came by to see me. I knew of his excellence as a teacher and school admistrator. His family is in our prayers.
Donna (Jones) Hayden
June 13, 2009
I can not remember when I did not know Bob, and his Mother. We went to school and worked together as Lifeguards at the Plunge. I have many wonderful memories, mostly very funny, and I will miss him greatly, as will all who knew him.
michael johnson
June 13, 2009
I hadn't visited with Bob and Kit, and it was three years ago at my own father's funeral, Donald Johnson, that we last saw each other. It's a shame that in life's hustle more care should be taken to preserve the memories for the living to get us through times like these. GOD rest Bob's soul.
Redgy Boyer
June 11, 2009
I have not seen Mr. Brinkerhoff, after I graduated 8th grade.I still remember the times we had doing the year book, because it was the first year of Live Oak school. We had to name the year book and a mascott, and school colors. He was a great mentor and I will always remember his humor. Please accept my condolences.
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