
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, October 14, 1995                   TAG: 9510160046
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: FARMVILLE                                LENGTH: Short

J.L. TRINKLE, REAL ESTATE `DEAN,' DIES'

James L. Trinkle, 66, proclaimed "the dean of the real estate industry" in Roanoke in 1994, died Friday during a trip to Hampden-Sydney College, where he was a trustee.

Trinkle was president of C.W. Francis & Son Inc., a commercial real estate brokerage.

When Trinkle turned 65 in April 1994, he was honored with a proclamation declaring "Jimmy Trinkle Days" in Roanoke.

Active in civic affairs, Trinkle was a member of the board of visitors at the University of Virginia in addition to his post at Hampden-Sydney. He also was president of the Roanoke Merchants Association and Downtown Roanoke Inc., and donated office space for Roanoke's annual Festival in the Park.

Trinkle played a major role in the mid-1960s in the effort to build the Roanoke Civic Center. He also served as president of the Roanoke Fine Arts Center, president of the board of directors of the Central YMCA and chairman of the board of deacons at Second Presbyterian Church.

Many prominent Roanoke-area real estate brokers got their starts as agents for C.W. Francis, including Ed Hall of Hall Associates Inc., Jeff and Ron Owens of Owens & Co., and Len Boone of Boone & Co.

Trinkle, a son of former Virginia Gov. E. Lee Trinkle, who served in the 1920s, also was active in Democratic politics. He was past chairman of the Democratic Party of Roanoke and at one time headed the state Young Democrats.

He was a graduate of Hampden-Sydney and the UVa Law School.

Oakey's Roanoke Chapel is in charge of funeral arrangements.

by CNB