James Dinkel

James Howard Dinkel, 81, of Frisco, Colorado, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his wife and daughters, at his home on December 25, 2020.

Jim was born to Edmund and Dolores Dinkel on April 21, 1939 and raised, along with his brother Robert, in Pittsburgh, PA. It’s there he met the love of his life, Arlene Kathryn Prokator and married her on February 4, 1967. Jim and Arlene were blessed to be the parents of two daughters, Melissa and Allison.

Jim served with the Pennsylvania Air National Guard and worked for USAir for 20 years while living in Pennsylvania. He and Arlene moved their family to Pompano Beach, Florida for several years but a visit to Colorado reminded them of their love for the mountains. In 1990, they relocated to Breckenridge, CO and have been residents of Summit County for 30 years.

Jim’s legacy includes his love of the Lord, serving others and always finding a way to make people laugh. He especially loved to make kids laugh and would act goofy and sweet just to entice a smile. Jim and Arlene are members of Rocky Mountain Bible Church where Jim has served as a deacon and could occasionally be found helping out in the nursery. Jim enjoyed the outdoors and spent many years hunting in the mountains of Pennsylvania. Later in life, he found joy in hiking and fishing in many of the beautiful spots around Summit County. Jim was a staple of the community in Summit County and knew most residents by name. He always had a moment to spare to talk to them and brighten their day. He worked at Silverthorne Elementary, joined the team that opened Silverthorne Recreation Center, but his proudest accomplishment was his role as part of the team that built the St. Anthony Summit Medical Center in Frisco, CO. He continued to serve the community there as a maintenance and engineering tech until his retirement.

Jim is survived by his wife of 53 years, Arlene; daughters: Melissa (Peter) Pattman of Silverthorne, CO and Allison (Darren) Geary of Aurora, CO; 4 grandchildren: Amanda Geary, Benjamin Marquez, Ryan Geary and Daniel Marquez and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother.

We will miss Jim terribly, but we take comfort knowing he has been renewed in the arms of our Heavenly Father.

Due to COVID restrictions on gathering, a celebration of Jim’s life will be held at later date.

If you knew Jim and would like a way to honor him, please consider making a donation in his memory to the Alzheimer’s Association. Donation information can be found below.