Tommy Tinker, 88, of Kapaáu, Hawaii, passed away August 22, 2021, at Kona Community Hospital. He was born in Van Nuys, California, and grew up in Edna, Texas, where he became a local football star. At 23, he attended Navy Flight School in Pensacola, Florida, and served 21 years in the Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reserves, retiring at the rank of Lt. Colonel. Tommy flew commercially for Pacific Airlines and later Northwest, until 1993. In 2018, he published Laddies in Waiting, a collection of remarkable stories from his 37-year flying career.

Tommy and his wife Cindy have lived on the Big Island for 33 years. He was an avid diver, sailor and skier. His friends will remember many Sunday afternoons sailing out of Kawaihae Harbor on his beloved sailboat, Kitta. As an active member of the North Kohala community, Tommy served as President of the Merchants Association, also President of the Kohala Hospital Charitable Foundation Board, which raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for a new emergency room facility.

There is no service planned due to Covid-19. His ashes will be scattered in the ocean at a later date. If you wish to make a donation in Tommy's name, his favorite charity was St. Jude's Children's Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.

Tommy is survived by his wife, Cynthia G. Smith, a son Heung-Gi (Laura) Tinker of Holmes, NY, three daughters, Kelly (Jim) Gronwald of Prescott Valley, AZ, Dana (Bill) Greenroad of San Jose, CA, and Rebecca (Greg) Coburn of Martinez, CA, twelve grandchildren and six great grandchildren.