Colleen Rinkel

Obituary of Colleen Rinkel

Colleen A. (Crowley) Rinkel, 52, died peacefully at home, Saturday, September 15, 2012, in Middletown, RI. She was the wife of John J. Rinkel.



Born October 14, 1959 in Newport, RI. She was a daughter of the late Michael F. and Elizabeth (Thorton) Crowley.



Colleen graduated from Roger's High School in 1978. She worked for her family's restaurant businesses, La Forge Casino and Pub and Christie's Of Newport until her retirement. Colleen loved gardening and grew beautiful arrangements and flower boxes surrounding her homes. She was creative and happy in the kitchen preparing meals for her family. Growing up she spent summers at Hazard's Beach and she enjoyed reading, long walks with her children and golden retrievers. She spent winter vacations at her parents' home in Florida and summer vacations at her family's lake front home in New Hampshire.



Colleen is survived by her beloved husband of 28 years, John and her two treasured daughters Elizabeth, 20 and Collete, 16. Colleen was the youngest daughter of the deceased Michael F. Crowley and Elizabeth S. Thorton Crowley of Newport, RI. She is survived by her brothers and sisters, Joan Kelly, Peter Crowley, Barry Crowley, Sheila Hayes, Betsy Graeber, all of Newport, RI and Cathleen Fletcher of Warwick, RI. She was the sister of the deceased Paul Crowley and Michael Crowley Jr.



Colleen was a wonderfully devoted wife and mother and will be sorely missed by everyone whose life she touched.