Henry Dinkelmann

Henry Louis Dinkelmann, 77, passed away Wednesday, June 6 at Holland Hospital surrounded by his loving family. He was born February 25, 1941, in Cincinnati, Ohio to Lidwina and Henry Dinkelmann. He was preceded in death by his sisters Carol and Janet.

Hank attended Withrow High School in Cincinnati and graduated from Oklahoma State Tech School of Baking, the American Institute of Baking, and Upper Iowa University. He served in the Army as a tank gunner from 1961-1965.

Hank married Sarah Buckley in Oxford, Ohio May 6, 1967. Hank and Sarah lived in four states and raised two sons. The boys were one and three when they moved to Traverse City, Michigan in 1975. In 1979, they moved to Holland where they raised their family and became dedicated members of the community. Hank and Sarah were fortunate to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary in the company of many friends and family last spring.

Hank was employed as a bakery production manager at Sara Lee, Chef Pierre, and Lloyd J. Harris Pie Company. He later worked for Henry House and Tyson Foods. He retired from West Ottawa Public Schools where he fully enjoyed transporting students to school and competitive events.

Volunteerism was a core component of Hank’s life, where he was often accompanied by his wife. Hank’s service to the community included various leadership roles within Kiwanis (40yrs), Knights of Columbus, Holland Amateur Radio Club, Boy Scouts, Red Cross, Tulip Time event support, and the Ottawa County Community Emergency Response Team. Hank’s sense of humor was boundless. He particularly enjoyed bringing joy to children’s faces while volunteering as Santa Claus in a variety of holiday settings for the last 55 years. Hank recently completed 25 years with the Coast Guard Auxiliary where he was a Flotilla Commander (twice) and enjoyed teaching boating safety classes. In 2016, Hank received the President's Lifetime Achievement Award from President Barack Obama for more than 4,000 hours of service with the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Hank is survived by his wife Sarah, sons William (Lori) and Karl (Heidi) and three grandchildren Kayley, Connor, and Lukas, numerous nieces and nephews as well as his adopted family Wayne and Vicki Bernhardt and Lee, David, and Cameron Kurzhal.

A memorial mass will be 11 am Friday (June 15), at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church, 480 152nd Avenue, with Father Michael Cilibraise officiating. Visitation will be 6-8 pm Thursday (June 14), at the Dykstra Funeral Home-Northwood Chapel, 295 Douglas Avenue.

To honor Hank’s deep commitment to community and causes supporting all children, his family suggests donations in Hank’s name to the Outdoor Discovery Center (http://outdoordiscovery.org) in lieu of flowers.