California Obituaries, Los Angeles County

Submitted by Peggy Hooper 

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The Downey Eagle
November 14, 1997 Volume 5 Number 38

Services Sunday for Fred John Brinkman
DOWNEY-Memorial services will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16, at the Downey Christian Memorial 
Church, 8441 Florence Ave., for Fred John Brinkman, Ph.D., the former president of the L.A. School of 
Business. 
Born in Warrenville, Ill., in 1917, he came to California in 1920. His ancestors were builders and craftsmen 
from Germany. 
He enjoyed working with wood, and served in the U.S. Navy from 1939 to 1945. He became a chief pattern 
maker, constructing huge wood patterns for such large items as ships' screws. 
After the war he became an instructor at Frank Wiggins Trade School, later to become Los Angeles Tech-
Trade College, where he taught cabinet making. He advanced, becoming coordinator of the building trades. 
After a few years and several degrees he became dean of the Evening School. The school was growing by 
leaps and bounds, and merged with the L.A. School of Business. They moved to a larger campus and became 
the largest community college in the Los Angeles District. In 1969 he was elected to the president's office, a 
post he held until 1976. His later years there he spent as Assistant Chancellor. 
His hobbies included wood carving and sailing, and he and his family often raced their Cal 20. He was 
Commodore of the Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club. 
He celebrated his 80th birthday on Sept. 13, and he and wife Ruth Andersen Brinkman celebrated their 51st 
wedding anniversary June 11. 
Survivors include his wife, Ruth of Downey; a daughter, Carol Brinkman of Downey; a son, Robert Brinkman 
of Quartz Hill; his sister, June (Melvin) Kiddie of Kingman, Arizona; a brother, Vaughn (Sally) Brinkman of 
Newport Beach; and numerous nieces and nephews. 
The Reverend William K. Backstrom will officiate. Lunch will follow.