Marlene Ann Brinkman

Marlene Ann Brinkman was born on October 5, 1935, in Springfield, Illinois, to Harry Anderson Westbrook and Agnes (Lamit) Westbrook. The youngest of four children, she was preceded in death by her sisters Dorothy Howell and Helen Westbrook and her brother Harry Westbrook.

She began elementary school in Springfield before her family moved to Los Angeles, where she attended Hawthorne Elementary and graduated from George Washington High School. After graduation, Marlene enlisted in the WAVES with the U.S. Navy. Stationed at Camp Pendleton in San Diego County from 1955 to 1958, she served honorably as a PN3, played on the Navy’s first women’s softball team, and performed clerical and medical support duties that later shaped her civilian career.

It was during her service that she met her future husband, Robert Frederick Brinkman. They married in Denver, Colorado, on August 16, 1958, and together raised three daughters: Deborah Ann Brinkman, Laura Marie Brinkman, and Tamara Louise Brinkman. Marlene was a devoted stay-at-home mother in her daughters’ early years before working as a bookkeeper and records manager at Prudential Insurance and later in the medical records department at Gates Rubber Company. In retirement, she opened Grandma’s Daycare for her grandchildren and neighborhood children.

An avid crafter, Marlene was rarely without her embroidery or knitting needles. Her tea towels, knitted cloths, and cross-stitch pieces remain cherished family treasures, and she became the family historian through the beautiful memory photo albums she created. She loved reading, especially the Murder She Wrote series, completing all fifty-nine books, and she delighted in jigsaw puzzles that drew family and friends to her table for laughter and conversation. Marlene welcomed everyone into her home and heart. She loved children, dogs, hummingbirds, lavender, roses, her favorite music, and her beloved Denver sports teams. Above all, she cherished her lifelong friends and her family.

Marlene was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Brinkman. She is survived by her daughters Deborah Brinkman of Littleton, Colorado, Laura Brinkman and John Sweeny of Denver, Colorado, Tamara Brinkman and Joe Fountain, and her grandchildren Chadd Kenney of Silverthorne, Colorado, and Callie Kenney of Denver, Colorado.