William "Bill" B. Hinkle

William Barnum Hinkle, 74, died peacefully, surrounded by his family, on October 5th, 2023 after a courageous battle with the sudden onset of multiple health issues. Bill, or “Billy” to those closest to him, was born in Rockford, Illinois on June 4th, 1949 to William and Jessie Hinkle. He graduated from Oregon High School in 1967 where he was active in multiple sports, clubs and anything social. Billy spent his summers enjoying the sand dunes on the shores of Silver Lake at the Hinkle family summer home in Mears, Michigan. From an early age, he excelled at tennis which is a cornerstone to Hinkle family life to this day. He had a tenacious spirit on the court and his talent in tennis was well known throughout the area. Soon after graduation from high school, tragedy struck his family with the sudden death of his father. Bill felt a great responsibility to return to his hometown to support his mom during this time and eventually transferred from Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin to Elmhurst College, where he graduated with a bachelors in Sociology and was certified to be a K-12 teacher. Upon graduation, he worked selflessly as an educator and advocate for individuals with developmental disabilities for the state of Illinois, retiring from an administration position at Jack Mabley Center in Dixon, Illinois. Shortly after he started his career, he met and married Juanita “Janie” Olalde. They had celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary the day before Bill suddenly became ill. Bill and Janie had one daughter, Dr. Hana Hinkle, who was the greatest joy and accomplishment of his life and was named in honor of favorite trips he and Janie took to Hawaii. Bill was a very involved and dedicated dad. Hana and her “Daddo” could often be seen around their small town together getting ice cream, riding bikes to the the local recreation center to play basketball, going on bus trips to see baseball games at Wrigley Field and on the local tennis courts giving lessons to children. He could often be found attending one of Hana’s many sports, activities and musicals in school. He and Janie never missed an opportunity to support their daughter. Bill would also take solo trips to visit Hana at college in Iowa City and take her to see Iowa Hawkeye football games. He proudly held a record for only seeing the Hawkeyes lose once in person. Bill made a friend for life with his son in law, Colin Peterson. He was equally as proud of Colin as he was of Hana and appreciated Colin’s friendship and willingness to help whenever needed. He instilled in his family a love for sports (especially the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bears, Iowa Hawkeyes and Atlanta Braves) his love for art, music and theatre, and his genuine love for people. Thoughtful, creative and well-read, you always wanted Bill on your trivia team for his ability to recall obscure facts on a moments notice. Bill had a big and sensitive heart and was a friend to anyone he met-this also made Bill a proud over-tipper at restaurants and the most thoughtful gift giver of all time. He was quick to smile and dependable for a good joke when you needed a laugh. He always supported causes that helped the underserved. Bill was involved in many community groups and also served as a Sunday School teacher and youth group leader at local churches. Bill single handedly supported youth tennis in Oregon for many years, teaching local kids and starting the Oregon Tennis Open tournament with the Oregon Park District in the mid 2000’s. An original foodie, Bill and his family often enjoyed trying new restaurants and new foods-sushi was a Hinkle family favorite. He enjoyed living in a bigger city with his wife, and close to his daughter and son in law later in life, which allowed him to explore his interests more and live his life to the fullest. Bill had a deep faith in God which supported him during difficult times and guided his core values. Bill’s life is an example of perseverance, relying on faith and being a friend to everyone. In this spirit, his family asks that you remember to be kind and a friend to others, take time to mentor youth or support your community by volunteering and appreciate the small joys in life, like spending quality time with your family. Bill was preceded in death by his parents and in-laws. He will be deeply missed by his lifelong companion and wife Janie, his daughter and son in law who not just lost their biggest supporter, but also their best friend. He will also be missed by many nieces and nephews and one brother, Robert (Kathryn) Hinkle. The world has lost a truly special person who’s legacy will always remain in those who loved him the most. 

 

There will be a visitation held in his honor on Tuesday, October 10, 2023 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at Farrell Holland Gale Funeral Home of Oregon, IL.

 

 A memorial fund has been established in Bill’s honor to support scholarships for local students pursuing a teaching degree in special education. Donations can be made at Central Bank in Oregon Illinois to Hana Hinkle Peterson c/o Memorial Fund or by Venmo: @Hana-Hinkle