Jimmy Tinsley, age 72, died Friday, May 21, at Lancaster General Hospital in Lancaster, Penn. Mr. Tinsley is survived by a wife, Lynda Katharine, two children, Laura Cox and William Van Wormer, sister Connie Tinsley Edwards, brother Beaver Tinsley. He also leaves behind two grandchildren, Victoria Fratz and Alan Van Wormer.

Jimmy is a veteran of the Vietnam War, during which he completed two full tours stationed in Sigon Cam Ranh Bay. He served on a PBR Swift boat (Brown Water Navy) and received commendations for his service. The discipline and patriotism he learned in the Navy never left him.

Jimmy's strong work ethic was matched only by his firm belief in equity, which was instilled by his mother, a union leader in the garment industry. Following Jimmy's military service, he got a job with Georgia-Pacific LLC, where he was assistant plant manager and helped establish a worker's union. He was champion for workers' rights throughout his career and served as Union president at the Talladega plant. Jimmy accepted a position at Allied Signal-Honeywell VA, where in 2010 he retired from a 20-year career as a field test technician.

Throughout his life, Jimmy was always "happy as a pig in the sunshine" when spending time outdoors. Born on a farm in Talladega, Alabama, to Edward Tinsley and Bertha Gilbert Tinsley, Jimmy embraced his Southern drawl and rural roots. Always had an authentic story to tell. He was an avid gardener, fisherman, collector of arrowheads, hunter and gatherer of seashells. Later in life, he started a neighborhood fishing tournament on Marco Island, Fla., where he lived part-time after retirement.

A memorial service will be held this summer in Lititz, Pennsylvania.