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1925
2020
Dexter Merriam Brinker was born to Waller Chenault Brinker and Madelyn Moore Keezer in Denver, Colorado on May 15, 1925, and passed away in Durango on July 19, 2020. Dexter was a descendant of Gov. Bradford of Jamestown, Va, and his relatives, including Chamberlin, Keezer, Merriam, Chilton, Randall, Morrison, Goldsmith, Eaton, Chenault, Allyn, Whittmore, Dold, Cushing, Rogers, Brinker, Captain John Jacob were present at The American Revolution, the Civil War, or had important roles in the founding and building of our country. In 1880 his Great Grand Parents Joseph and Elizabeth Brinker began The Brinker Collegiate Institute in Denver, which was the first college-level school West of the Mississippi. His family played a big part in early Denver, and that spark was passed on to Dexter, who always had a passion for hard work, discovery, and service. As a young man, Dexter's chores included caring for the chickens and shoveling snow on the whole city block. His education was guided by his teacher mother and his attorney/banker father. He was a boy scout and played the bugle, and graduated to playing the trumpet which he played while accompanying his father who was a gifted pianist. He worked summers helping carpenters build his father's houses, he bought a Model A Ford and took it completely apart and put it back together. Dexter attended the Colorado School of Mines on a scholarship until he was drafted into the Army in 1943. Dexter served with the 36th Infantry Division, while attached to Headquarters as a scout and forward observer, where he received several commendations, including the Combat Infantry Badge and the Bronze Star for actions in France, and finished his Army service occupying Germany, until 1946. On returning to the U.S., Dexter fulfilled a lifelong interest in trains and rode the D&RGW narrow gauge train throughout the entire line, including freight trains with sheep and the galloping goose. Continuing his desire to serve, Dexter initiated and started The Rocky Mountain Rescue Group, the first organized rescue organization in Colorado, that still provides leading volunteer services out of Boulder, Colorado. After finishing his Engineering Degree at CU, Dexter went on to provide Engineering and Survey expertise in Denver and he participated in the Moffat Tunnel and the Eisenhower Tunnel construction and several major Denver construction projects. In following his family's educational interests, Dexter began the Brinker School of Surveying in 1967, where he graduated over 200 well-trained Surveyors. Dexter drafted several Surveying Bills that lead to State Licensing requirements for Land Surveyors in Colorado. In 1962 Dexter married the love of his life Mary Massack Mllacak, a teacher, and they remained together until her passing in 2016. The young couple traveled to France and Germany and Dexter remarked about how much nicer the Germans were now, compared to 1945. The Brinkers moved to Durango in 1984 and Dexter built a home close to Ignacio. Dexter and Mary never had children of their own, but Mary had all of her students who loved them both, and they are survived by several nieces, and many loving friends. Dexter did not wish to have services, although he and Mary were kind good Christian People, instead Dexter would ask those good people to get out the vote to preserve our Country and remember the sacrifice of all who worked to build it. As Sargent Brinker would Say "Remain vigilant and keep your powder dry!"
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
1 Entry
Dexter was a very bright man who had an enormous sense of people's need to do good. He was always positive and helpful in everything he did. While he has "gone down the trail", he left us with a wonderful living testament of God's love.
The Helmericks Family
August 12, 2020
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