Kenneth Brinkley Sr

Obituary For Kenneth Brinkley Sr

Bro. Kenneth Brinkley affectionately known as “Bro B”, 72, went to sleep on Thursday, September 3, 2026 at St Thomas West in Nashville, TN.

Family Visitation will be held on Sunday, September 13, 2026 from 1:30pm to 2:30pm with funeral service to follow at Ramsey Street Church of Christ, 810 Ramsey St Nashville, TN 37206.

Dear Family and Friends,

My husband’s earthly journey is now complete. He has finished his course, which began on November 10, 1953, in Chattanooga, TN, and ended on September 3, 2026.

He can rest easy now with those who preceded him: his mother, Virginia Brinkley Thomas; his stepfather, Junior Thomas; sister, Cheryl Frazier; brother, Larry Hamer; and sister-in-law, Diana Hamer.

From a very young age, he learned of God’s plan for the Christian from his grandfather, Shirley Brinkley Sr., and from his uncle, Eddie Brinkley Sr. They paved the way for his successful life as a minister of the gospel. He was baptized at the young age of 8.

He preached for several congregations: Avondale Church of Christ (Chattanooga, TN), Rockford Church of Christ (Pikeville, TN), Aldhouse Ave Church of Christ (Bridgeport, AL), Gard Ave Church of Christ (Dayton, OH), and for the last 25 years, he served as the pulpit minister at Ramsey Street Church of Christ.

He found so many friends and fellow laborers in the gospel here. I can’t name them all, but those closest to him were Thomas McElroy and Samuel Otis Sr.

He attended and graduated from Howard High School in Chattanooga, TN, and that’s where he met his me (Hallelujah!). As a Hustlin’ Tiger (class of 1971), he played on the baseball team and developed a love for drafting.

At the age of 17, with the draft in full force during the Vietnam era, he decided to join the Navy. He said he chose the Navy because he liked their uniforms more than the other branches (he was just 17, y’all!). He spent 8 years in the Navy, where he met two lifelong friends, Ted Lowery and James Chappell.

He chose me to be his wife in 1974 with a long-distance proposal. I accepted without any hesitation—YES, a thousand times YES. Two amazing children, Erika and Kenneth, made our family whole.

We now have 5 grandchildren: Lyric Blackmon, Jailyn Blackmon, Smith Brinkley, C.J. Baker, and Alexis Corbin. We also have 5 great-grandchildren: Legend, Lyric Jr., Legacy, Bentley, and Italia.

After leaving the Navy, he made his way back to Chattanooga, TN, where he found gainful employment with ICI Americas at the TNT plant as a firefighter, emergency medical technician, and security guard. He worked there for 20 years.

My hubby was an amazing preacher, an attentive father, and the best husband and friend that I could have ever asked for. He loved his family fiercely! He leaves so many to remember his kindness and love.

I am left here not just to mourn my loss, but to celebrate his life and continue to put into practice the lessons of God that he taught me. He taught all who would listen that a deep love for God, consistency, forgiveness, kindness, generosity, and love for everyone were the key ingredients to a successful Christian life. He believed in giving a second chance. I will hold to all these principles for the rest of my life.

He leaves his baby girl, Erika, whom he loved dearly. When those two were together, I no longer existed! It was as if they had their own language and I wasn’t privy to understanding it. He was definitely a girl dad.

He leaves his son, Kenneth Brinkley II (Lily). These two could talk about the Bible and all things relating to being a Christian for hours. Our son would come over every Tuesday and take him to appointments; that’s where a lot of those biblical conversations would start and continue until they made it back home.

There are so many cousins and friends who will forever feel this loss—I will only name a few:

First Cousins: Eddie Brinkley Sr.; Antonio Brinkley (Sharon); Gregory Brinkley (Wanda); Tonya Simmons (Toney); Cheryl Crenshaw and Bobby Brinkley (Patricia) of Las Vegas, NV; David Chislom (Saundra) and Debrah Leslie of Charlotte, NC; and Sandra Hudley (James) of Arkansas.

Then there are those special relationships developed outside of bloodlines: Shaun Burkes, Brittney Easley and Thomas McElroy. He loved them unconditionally, and the feelings were mutual. What can I say about Thomas (“Big Mac”) McElroy? He was here for both of us. I could call him anytime of the day or night and he would say, “Okay, I’m on my way.” He always did more than we expected or asked for. Mac, it is all good.

Brittney (“Lil Dawg”) Easley is our bonus daughter. She was at his bedside making him laugh and reminding him how much she cared. She would come whenever I called without any hesitation. She is gold! She has so many stories about her time with him—just ask her, I’m sure she will tell you.

Shaun “ Terresita” as he called her, truly cherished him. She valued the wisdom and words of encouragement from the many many conversations they shared. Shaun never fell short when it came to expressing how much he meant to her. When out of town speaking at gospel meetings, Shaun would make it her business to show up to support him.

Thank you to Derrick Trent, who called every day and prayed for him each time he called. Bro. Adrian White was another special friend who would call and discuss biblical topics with him.

So many people have expressed their love for him and said so many kind things.

My hubby, Brother Kenneth Jerome Brinkley Sr., affectionately known as “Bro B,” was a Christian in every sense of the word—a good man, an excellent husband, and an amazing father to his children. He would say that he didn’t know why God loved him, but he was glad that He did.

Rest well, my love.

Your Lady B forever.

Eulogist, Bro Thomas McElroy

Officiant, Bro Namayo Kendrick

Interment- Monday, September 14, 2026, 1:00pm, Middle TN Veterans Cemetery, Pegram, TN.

Please keep the Brinkley Family and all who loved him in your thoughts and prayers.

Arrangements entrusted to Hellum Funeral Home, 611 S Highland Ave, Murfreesboro, TN 37130 615-893-4323

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