It's with a truly heavy heart that I inform you that our shipmate Don Crinkey departed on Eternal Patrol.
If you didn't attend our monthly base meetings or some of our dinners, you probably didn't know our shipmate Don Crinkey. He RARELY missed a monthly base meeting, coming from Springfield with his good friend and shipmate Bob Frier . In his words, he āloved the brotherhood and camaraderie of the submarine service and being with the Columbus Base shipmatesā.
Don didn't qualify in submarines. He served in the US Navy in the late 1950's and was a ground crew member of the Blue Angels flight teams. But dolphins or not, Don was a submariner at heart... in deed, in action, in his unselfishness, in the way he treated his submarine brothers, in the way he treated everyone. While on vacation in New England some years back, Don came across a brass bell. He immediately thought of the Columbus Base ritual of ringing the bell for lost boats at our monthly base meetings, bought the bell, and donated it to the base. At one of our monthly base meetings, there was no flag to honor with the Pledge of Allegiance. Don bought a flag and staff and donated it to the baseā¦ he and Bob Frier keeping it in Springfield and bringing it to the base meetings every month. Both the bell and flag are used at every meeting.
Columbus Base was proud to honor Don. We bestowed an Honorary Membership in 2005, ā in recognition of his continuous support of Columbus Base, and his profound interest in submarine and veteransā issuesā. Don also received at least one Certificate of Appreciation for his contributions..
Don Crinkey wasn't a submariner... at least not from the point of serving and qualifying on submarines. But he was as much a submariner as any I ever met. And Iāll miss him..
CRINKEY, Donald Eugene Age 80, of Springfield passed away June 13,2018. He was bom January 8, 1938, in Steubenville, Ohio, to Lawrence Donald Crinkey and Margaret (Somerville) Crinkey. Don was a 1956 graduate of Springfield High School. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, serving for 2 years with the Blue Angels. He retired from Navistar in 1993 and was a member of several Masonic and service organizations. Don is survived by his wife of 55 years, Elizabeth Kay (Circle) Crinkey; one daughter, Jennifer Lynn (David) Heflin; one grandson, William F. Heflin, all of Amelia, OH; one sister-in-law, Deborah Crinkey of Springfield. He is preceded in death by his parents, and one brother, Keith Edwin Crinkey. The family wishes to thank Hospice of Dayton and Dr. Filix Kencana of the Springfield Regional Cancer Center. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Hospice of Dayton, 324 Wilmington Ave., Dayton, OH 45420, or the Springfield Regional Cancer Center. Visitation will be Sunday from 2 4 PM. in RICHARDS, RAFF & DUNBAR MEMORIAL HOME, 838 East High St. Private services will be held at the convenience of the family. Expressions of sympathy may be made at www.richardsraffanddunbar.com.
Sailor Rest Your Oar,
Clutch