Thomas "Tom" Pinkel

Thomas Pinkel passed away September 6, 2019 at the age of 90 in the attentive care of the Bruceville Terrace Skilled Nursing Facility in Elk Grove CA, where he had served as Chaplain for the last 5 years of his career. Born in Buffalo New York, Tom was sixth of the seven children of Lawrence and Anne Pinkel. At 14 he entered the Carmelite seminary in Niagara Falls, Ontario and was ordained as a Carmelite priest in 1954. He went on to teach at Carmelite high schools and assist at local parishes. In 1969 he earned a MFA in Theatre and a MA in Speech Education. His love of theater, language, and teaching led him to direct plays for Mount Carmel College and high schools, and acted in community theater. While serving in Tucson he trained in dance under the direction of Barbara Mettler of the Creative Dance Studio. Tom spent his final 3 years as a Carmelite, ministering to students at the Newman Center in Davis. Tom's gift for Story and Dance and his skill developing creative liturgies, helped connect students to scripture in a way that made the allegory and traditions of the Church feel immediate and relevant to modern life. In 1980, Tom petitioned the Carmelites to return to the Lay State and become the first Lay Chaplain in the Mercy Hospital System. In this capacity, he provided emotional and spiritual support to patients, families, and staff. Serving 35 years at Mercy, Methodist, and Bruceville Terrace he became known for his ability to interact with people of all religions, cultures, educational levels and ages. His sensitivity to complex relationships and genuine concern for the growth and development of individuals gave his ministry a special grace. He and his wife Sandra created the consulting business, Profiles, offering workshops in personal, professional and organizational development based on the Meyers Briggs Type Indicator. St. Francis of Assisi parish has been his spiritual home for the past 25 years. He started the Monday night Contemplative Prayer group and served on the Ministry for the homeless since it began 15 years ago. He served as a lector at mass and on the Adult Faith Formation Ministry. For the last 15 years Tom and Sandra curated a special Summer Film Festival for the parish based on relevant current social issues, each film followed by lively discussion. Unfortunately, Tom was unable to attend the last series due to the progression of his illness. Tom loved art and performance in all its forms, especially his first love, theater. And anyone who met Tom had to see his great affinity for people. His kindness and sparkling personality will be greatly missed by his many friends and acquaintances. He is survived by his beloved wife, Sandra and stepchildren Jennifer (Dorothy), Sean (Marisa), Maura (Chris), Kerry (Gabriela); and step grandchildren, Reilly, Sydney, Saoirse and Nicolas. He is predeceased by sisters, Anna Marie, Catherine, Loretto, and brother Lawrence. He is survived by his brother Donald MD and sister Eileen OSF. The family is profoundly grateful to the staff at Bruceville Terrace. In the final days of his life, he was surround by so many who knew and loved him as their Chaplain. They provided loving care not only to Tom, but to his family as well. Services will be held September 28th at St. Francis Church, 1066 26th St., Sacramento CA at 10:00AM with refreshments to follow.