Lloyd Hinkley
March 9, 1929 – June 16, 2025
Lloyd Hinkley was born March 9, 1929. He spent the majority of his life in Lincoln, NE, where he raised his family and worked in Real Estate and Insurance. As a young man, he was drafted into the army and served as a radar technician in the Korean war. There, he met a young boy, Kim, whom he later adopted and brought to the USA. After his return to the States, Lloyd fathered three sons, Gary, David and Ron with his wife Kay. While raising his family, Lloyd served on the Lincoln City Council (1961-1969) and was a pioneer in promoting open housing in Lincoln. He was subsequently called back into the council in 2012, to fill out a term for a member in absentia. During his tenure as a realtor and councilman, he served on many civic committees and received multiple awards for community service. Among others, he was a long-time member of the Bryan LGH Foundation Board and also served as a Trustee for the Wyuka Cemetery and Funeral Home. In recognition of his many community services, he recently received the Seniors Foundation Keystone Award. In 1972, he married Donna Blue and they celebrated 52 years of marriage before Donna passed away in September 2024. Lloyd had many hobbies which he shared with his friends and family. Motorcycles, hunting, fishing, boating, music, and sports, especially softball and golf, were all pursuits that he enjoyed in his long and fulfilling life. His philosophy, as summed up in his own words: “Long ago I decided to be a participant in life rather than an observer.”
He is preceded in death by Donna’s son Loren and survived by his four sons Kim (Michelle), Gary (Susanne), David (Judy) and Ron (Toni), Donna’s children Chris (Jon) and Jane, and many grandchildren and greatgrandchildren.
A Celebration of Life will be held at the Lincoln Country Club on Sunday, July 6, 2025, from 1 – 4 pm.
Loyd did so much good in Lincoln. Just a month ago I was talking with someone at the Legacy about all he had done for the Seniors Foundation. He was amazing.
I met Lloyd while we were both working out at Prairie Life Club. Lloyd, not one to shy away from a conversation, and I started bantering back-and-forth. Through our talks, I found out he was a Korean War Veteran. I told him I was teaching my St. Mary’s students about war and PTSD. I asked him if he would be willing to talk with my students about his experiences in Korea. Of course, he jumped at the chance. Being a great storyteller, he had the kids in the palm of his hand. I passed this info on to Bill and Yvonne Williams. They were working with NPM to create a video about a Korean War Honor Flight to Washington D.C.. NPM ended up contacting Lloyd and he was a prominent figure in the video. While in Omaha getting ready to leave for D.C., the students spotted Lloyd in the halls and ran up to him yelling , “Mr. Hinkley, Mr. Hinkley all wanting to give him a hug. He never forgot that. From that moment on, every time I saw Lloyd, he’d bring up that experience. you can find the video at Nebraska Public Media (NPM) “Homecoming: The Impact on Nebraska Veterans” (approx 30 min)
I’m so sorry he has passed. He was a wonderful human being, a real character around Lincoln we will all miss. My thoughts and prayer are with the family at this time.