Christina Hinkle

Chris Bayliss Hinkle passed away peacefully in her sleep on July 16. She is survived by her two children: Amy Rhodes of Anchorage, Alaska, and James Hinkle of Superior, Colorado.

Born at St. Francis Hospital in San Francisco on September 30, 1949, Chris displayed a fun, whimsical, and free‑wheeling spirit from an early age—and carried it with her throughout life.

She graduated from Mount Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley in 1967. She attended the University of San Francisco and studied in Spain—uncommon for Americans at the time, especially women. Independent, intelligent, and ahead of her time, she embodied curiosity and determination.

Chris began her life’s work as a bilingual educator around 1975 in San Francisco’s Mission District, later working in migrant camps across Northern California.

In 1977, she married Jerry Hinkle and moved to Socorro, New Mexico, where she continued teaching. Their two children were born there: James Robert Hinkle on February 8, 1980, and Amy Lorraine Rhodes on May 21, 1982. In 1983, the family relocated to Colorado, where Chris would make her home for the next 42 years.

She spent nearly 30 years teaching high school Spanish in Aurora and Parker, Colorado.

Chris now sings (in Spanish, of course) and dances with Jesus in heaven. She is remembered through her two children—her son, a Spanish teacher like his mother, and her daughter, a strong and independent woman who carries on her legacy. Their shared love of Spanish and travel is part of the gift Chris gave them.

She will be deeply missed.

To honor her memory, please consider donating to the Gateway Scholarship Fund at Colorado School of Mines, in recognition of her dedication to education and diversity. The scholarship was named after the public high school she taught at in Aurora and supports students transferring from the Community College of Aurora—the most diverse campus in the state—to CSM.

Checks may be made payable to: CSM Foundation

Memo: “Gateway Scholarship”

Mail to: CSM Foundation, PO Box 4005 Golden, CO 80402

Or online: weare.mines.edu/give

Select “Other” and type “Gateway Scholarship.”