Francis “Lynn” Hinkle passed away peacefully a few days after his 81st birthday with his wife, Barbara, by his side. Lynn was born in Oskaloosa, Iowa on July 12, 1942, to Carroll and Eleanor Hinkle where he spent a happy childhood near his grandparents, sister, and many family members. Graduating from Oskaloosa High School in 1960, wanting to see the world, he married his high school sweetheart, Barbara Wright. They raised two daughters, Deborah Ann Smith and Kimberly Lynn Martin, both residing in Great Falls.
He proudly served seven years in the Army Intelligence Agency with two overseas tours in Germany and Japan. After returning home, he enjoyed a long and successful career in retail store management and purchased a Ben Franklin Craft store in Bozeman, Montana in 1995. He made many business trips to various US cities and enjoyed the friendship of other store managers and owners. He always embraced new gadgets and tech with gusto.
As a young man, Lynn tinkered with old cars and hunted and fished with family, Each new experience brought new interests. Motorcycles in Japan, photography in Germany, and flying in Wisconsin. He loved music and local plays, his cat, Gabby, the hot tub, and warm weather. He and Barbara would travel to their winter home down in Arizona after he retired in 2004.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Barbara; children, Debbie and Kim; grandchildren, Rebecca Fairchild, Jacqueline Stilson, and Logan Martin; and great-grandchildren, Joselyn Lee, Kayce Lynn, and Wiley Abedinger of Wisconsin. To read the complete obituary and share condolences, click here to visit the O'Connor Funeral Home website.
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