Obituary: Germaine L. Hinkle, 93, Of Danbury

Information and Photo Courtesy Jowdy-Kane Funeral Home

RIDGEFIELD, CT — Germaine L. Hinkle, 93, of Danbury, longtime resident of Ridgefield, died peacefully on Monday, July 17, 2023. She was the loving wife of the late James R. Hinkle Sr.

Mrs. Hinkle was born in Riverhead, NY on February 11, 1930, the daughter of the late Dr. James C. W. and Germaine (Thurm) Lutz. She graduated high school from The Sacred Heart of Mary Academy in Sag Harbor, NY in 1948 and, four months later, set sail for Beziers, France as a newly admitted member of the Novitiate of the Sacred Heart of Mary where she would specialize in French and music.

Upon her return to the United States, Mrs. Hinkle began her tenure teaching at Marymount School in Manhattan. She received her Master of Arts in 1961 from Laval University in Quebec, Canada. From 1961-1962, Mrs. Hinkle lived to France while teaching at the University of Paris, Sorbonne. Mrs. Hinkle was working on her PhD at NYU in the late 60s when she decided to leave the religious order and enter civilian life. It was at this time, while teaching high school at Hastings on Hudson, NY, that she met fellow teacher and the love of her life, James R Hinkle, Sr. They married in 1970, settling in Yonkers. Their son, James Jr. was born in September 1975, and it was a few years after that Mrs. Hinkle helped her husband survive a serious bout with cancer. The family moved to Ridgefield in 1980. Mrs. Hinkle continued to teach at Hastings High School, serving as chairperson of the Foreign Languages department. She retired from teaching in 1996.

A longtime resident of Ridgefield, Mrs. Hinkle was a parishioner of Saint Elizabeth Seton Church. She loved summers on the water in the family’s boat. She loved to bake and entertain, along with playing the piano and singing. Mrs. Hinkle’s kind and friendly manner endeared her to a wide circle of friends and acquaintances. She remained lifelong friends with many of her former students, who remember her and her late husband, James Sr, with fond, loving memories.

Mrs. Hinkle is survived by her son, James R. Hinkle Jr. (Nadine), a granddaughter, Lucy, as well as a brother, Arno Lutz, and nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband, James Sr., and a brother Robert. The family would like to thank the nursing staff at St. John Paul II Center for their tireless dedication to Mrs. Hinkle’s care.

Family and friends will be received on Friday, July 28, 2023, from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. at Kane Funeral Home; 25 Catoonah Street, Ridgefield. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday, July 28, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. at Saint Elizabeth Seton Church; 520 Ridgebury Road, Ridgefield. Interment will follow in Saint Mary's Cemetery; 110 North Street, Ridgefield.