PLYMOUTH ---- Frank Arthur Hinkle, age 71, of Plymouth, New Hampshire passed away Monday, December 18, 2023. He was preceded in death by his father, Arthur Chester Hinkle, his mother, Geraldine (Fritz) Hinkle, his sister, Sandy Linde, and his brother, Arthur Barry Hinkle.
He is survived by his loving wife of 36 years, Jane (Aiello) Hinkle, their son, Bryant Hinkle-Opeil (Lauren), their daughters, Michele Siegal (Joe), Jamie Dieppa, Kristina Acevedo (Ramon), and Ashley Hamm (Zachary), his older brother, Roger Linde (Christine), and his sister, Mary Hinkle (Kim), his grandchildren, Juliana, Lola “Spencer”, Ryan, Emily, Connor, Lucas, Isabel, Alaric, Jose, and Nathan.
Frank grew up in the Tonawanda area of New York just outside of Buffalo. He had a more than three-decade long career in law enforcement serving as an officer and detective at Tamarac Police Department in Tamarac, FL, where he earned a promotion to sergeant. He would go on to serve the North Lauderdale City Police department (later to become part of the Broward Sheriff’s Office), earning a promotion in that department to Sergeant as well. Throughout the years, he served as an instructor in all aspects of law enforcement. He earned a Juris Doctorate in Criminal Justice from the Shephard Broad College of Law at Nova Southeastern University in Davie, FL. Later in life, he and his wife Jane moved from Coral Springs, FL to Plymouth, NH, where he accepted a position as Chief of the Alexandria, New Hampshire police department. After retiring in 2008, he and his wife purchased the historic Queen Anne Victorian, three-story home originally owned by Edwin and Anna Nutting built in 1883 near downtown Plymouth and worked hard to fulfill a lifelong dream of theirs, to open and operate a Bed and Breakfast.
As co-owner and operator of the Tea Rose Inn since 2009, Frank continued to be a servant to his guests and community. He also loved to tell stories about his days in law enforcement, a project he was working on involving the Bed and Breakfast, or his family (always about his children and grandchildren). He had a passion for the Buffalo Bills football team. Whether it was the glory days of Coach Lou Saban and Quarterback Jack Kemp or the four-time Super Bowl Bills of the 1990’s led by Coach Marv Levy and Quarterback Jim Kelly, it did not matter if they won or lost, they were still his Bills. He also enjoyed debating current affairs and sharing his never-ending knowledge of how the law worked in textbooks and in practice. He was known for his smile, which often gave way to an exuberant laugh and repeatedly offering his witty bits of wisdom to anyone he thought would listen. He leaves behind a legacy of which is hard to measure in words. It is only the love of his family and friends through which one may begin to understand Frank’s impact on the world given to him by his God.
A Celebration of Life ceremony is to be held at a later date.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Frank’s name to the Plymouth Fireman’s Association Building Fund, 42 Highland Street, Plymouth, NH 03264.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services/603Cremations.com, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, NH, 03246, is assisting the family with arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial, please visit wilkinsonbeane.com.