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Richard Merlino
B: 1938-06-05
D: 2024-03-24
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Merlino, Richard
Susan Gallo
B: 1947-06-03
D: 2024-03-18
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Gallo, Susan
Donna DePaul
B: 1955-10-18
D: 2024-03-17
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DePaul, Donna
Mary Jane Enderiss
B: 1943-03-05
D: 2024-03-12
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Enderiss, Mary Jane
Mary Ann Doto
B: 1943-03-12
D: 2024-03-10
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Doto, Mary Ann
Albert Caporali
B: 1937-09-23
D: 2024-03-10
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Caporali, Albert
Anthony Mangini
B: 1956-04-18
D: 2024-03-08
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Mangini, Anthony
Joseph Palladino
B: 1931-02-04
D: 2024-03-06
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Palladino, Joseph
Giuseppe Coppolino
B: 1929-04-14
D: 2024-03-01
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Coppolino, Giuseppe
Nina DeClerico
B: 1949-05-01
D: 2024-03-01
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DeClerico, Nina
Michael Mastropieri
B: 1944-05-06
D: 2024-02-27
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Mastropieri, Michael
Domenica Scavuzzo
B: 1937-12-25
D: 2024-02-24
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Scavuzzo, Domenica
David Klotz
B: 1941-04-29
D: 2024-02-21
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Klotz, David
Catherine Masci
B: 1946-03-04
D: 2024-02-10
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Masci, Catherine
Gloria Johnson
B: 1939-02-16
D: 2024-02-06
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Johnson, Gloria
Russell Greco
B: 1961-08-30
D: 2024-02-03
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Greco, Russell
Richard Matteis
B: 1953-11-29
D: 2024-02-02
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Matteis, Richard
Louise Porco
B: 1934-03-22
D: 2024-01-23
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Porco, Louise
Sandra DiSipio
B: 1947-05-20
D: 2024-01-22
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DiSipio, Sandra
Rae Bivenour
B: 1932-02-24
D: 2024-01-16
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Bivenour, Rae
Thomas Murphy
B: 1954-12-14
D: 2024-01-15
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Murphy, Thomas

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Richard Hinkie
In Memory of
Richard "Richie"
Hinkie
1981 - 2018
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Vincent Gangemi Funeral Home, Inc.
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Condolences

Condolence From: Ashley Acklin
Condolence: I knew something happened to you. You just fell off the map. This breaks my heart. What a wonderful life lost.
Wednesday January 06, 2021
Condolence From: Mark Moss
Condolence: For those that knew Richie, but couldn’t make his funeral.

His eulogy:
Some of you could not make the funeral for my friend Richie Hinkie and wanted to hear the euolgy.

Rich's mom Nancy, did NOT want to hide his struggles. She's hoping his story can help others. So, if you wanted to know more about my friend, please read this. If you know someone with addiction, please read this. It may help. If you “THINK” you “KNOW” addicts, please, consider taking a second to read. This was the REAL Richie:

I’m not really a suit wearing kind of person…. I’m not even a long pants wearing kind of person, so…. I‘d like to thank Richie Hinkie for putting me in ill-fitting suits not 1, but 2 days in a row.

Last night, I read some upsetting comments about Rich…. And myself. One, chastising him and another, said to me, “we’ve been friends a long time, I’m disappointed in you…..I cannot believe that you’d stay friends with someone like him. Addiction is NOT a disease….. They do it to themselves.”

I chose NOT to engage them.

For here on, I’ll follow Nancy, Richie’s moms lead:

If anyone has seen the 2 videos of Rich, you could see he went through several phases in his life. His white rapper phase. His artist phase and a very questionable few years of the dreaded.... mullet phase.

I could run a laundry list of things explaining the REAL Richie. Most of you already know the type of person he was… Friendly, kind, out-going, loving, caring….nicest person...... Funny as all heck, with a sense of humor to match. Smart too, with a 1000 watt smile that everyone loved. ……WHEN.... he was on point.

So, I have one story to sum him up. One night, Rich called me, he said, “Hey, it’s Richie”… as he always does. He said, “I’m on the train, can you grab me and drop me off at Alex’s.?” I said sure. I picked him up on Market Street: Turned right onto 8th street. Heading toward Walnut, Rich says, “Stop… STOP THE CAR”. I said, dude what’s up? He jumped out of the car, ran to a homeless guy laying on one of those steaming vents in Center City. He took off his coat, laid it on the man…. AND with no fanfare, walked away.

He got back in the car and I said… DUDE, its 15 degrees and snowing out. He said “What? I have a hoodie at Alex’s”….. That’s the Richie I knew. He was happy, knowing that guy was warm, covered with his giant winter parka with the big fur hood… and he was content with just a hoodie.

On the other hand, when Rich was struggling, he fell hard. One particularly BONKERS night, he was staying at my house. He was dippin. I said dude you can’t do that in my house. In the morning, he knew I was angry. I told him… what was the deal… you did this, this and this. He said, “OMG, I don’t remember that at all… I’m so sorry”

Now, I’m not innocent, I’ve done dumb stuff in my life I can’t lie…… But, I could NEVER understand addiction. How could someone like Rich…… who was SO strong, so smart…. he was very smart. He was also the MOST metro guy I’ve ever met. He was worse than a girl, with how meticulous he was with his hair. His clothes were impeccable. He had new kicks every 2 weeks…… But, when he hit bottom, how did THAT Rich, become the guy walking around with holes in his shoes and an overgrown beard?

I said, dude, PLEASE help me understand this.

He explained it like this:
“I blank out. You can try it just ONCE…. You never mean for it to happen, BUT WHEN YOU DO... it grabs you. It can be, to experiment, to get away from troubles, peer pressure, whatever…. And it doesn’t let go. Next thing you know, you wake up the next day, the next month, the next YEAR….. You either forget, or don’t care about the people you hurt or what you had to do to get your next high.” He went on, “think of that person, who drinks tons of coffee every day. Then, that one day, they over sleep and haven’t had their morning coffee. They get an excruciating headache, so bad, they can’t function. That’s addiction.

Or that person who had such a bad day, they binge eat to compensate. Next thing they know, an entire carton of ice cream is gone. That’s addiction.

Someone goes to the casino and promises themselves, they will ONLY spend $20…. Next thing they know, they do not even have enough money to get through the tolls on the way home from Atlantic City. That’s addiction.

And..... there’s the body builder who takes a supplement to get just a little stronger, a little bigger…. Next thing they know, they are exploding with rage…. That’s addiction.

He continued, “Take everything I’ve just mentioned and times it by 100…. That’s drug addiction.”

Perspective. Since that night, years ago, I have NEVER judged anyone, ever again. Everyone, is addicted to something. It’s true.

Last week, when it was clear, we were not getting Rich back, there was going to be no miracle……His mom Nancy, decided to donate his organs. Here was a chance for Rich, who had, unwillingly, hurt so many people, to make it right. He could save so many lives. His chance to be an unlikely hero.

Well, after quite some time, there were no local matches and… the only matches they did find, were way too far for the organs to be viable. SO, Nancy made the brave choice to let Richie go. No hero.

However, I’ve been thinking… how is it possible, that this force of nature, THIS..... big, blistering personality, someone so strong and so smart….. How was HE not able to beat his demons? The more I thought about it, I came to the conclusion…… MAYBE…… it’s possible, God, put him here and he wasn't SUPPOSED to find an answer. Maybe he was put here to struggle….. So, his family and friends could learn….. Triggers, causes, solutions…… and falters. Maybe we, his family and friends are supposed to take his story, tell it to other families. Maybe, because of god’s plan, Rich’s struggles and suffering were all to help OTHER people. If so… that’s truly heroic.

I have just one more thing to say. I’d like to appeal directly to God, on Richie’s behalf:

“God, when you meet Rich, He’s going to ask to borrow some underwear, shoes, sneakers and socks. BUT…. Just know, what you’ll get in return are, a ripped pair of underwear, one (1) shoe, one (1) sneaker and NO socks. Also, keep tons of peanut butter and jelly on hand. He’s going to crush jars every night. And, if he ever asks, “you need a haircut?”….. Just know this, he’s going to start....., THEN tell you......oh, btw, I can use clippers to clean up your back and sides. But, I don’t know how to use scissors on the top. At which point, it will be too late and you’ll already look like a 1920’s, depression era kid with a bowl cut.

God, when Rich comes to your gate and asks to be admitted to your kingdom, here’s what you’ll come to find out. He was very selfish. He was self-centered, unreliable, and untrustworthy and he will hurt you till your heart hurts…… BUT, I ask you to please, take into consideration, the Richie we all knew, the REAL RICHIE..... when he was ON POINT. You will never find a more, loving, caring, friendly, generous and loyal person. I promise you that……... THAT was the real Richie Hinkie

So, when you are assembling your next team to send down here….. And you have that ONE person that needs an extra special, compassionate and empathetic angel to sit on their shoulder, I give you my word…..you will NOT find ........a better person to guide them…. Than Richie Hinke.

[To the family]:
Go out, tell Richie’s story. Tell it truthfully….. It may just help a family or their loved one.... and save someone’s life.

Richie, I love you more than you will ever know. I will remember you forever and I will never let anyone forget, you ever existed.

#HeyItsRichie
Wednesday August 08, 2018
Condolence From: Ruth Shegda ( Pinciotti)
Condolence: Nancy I am so heartbroken for your loss! We know that is he finally at peace, and is with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our hearts are also broken and are holding you and your family in our prayers
Monday May 14, 2018
Condolence From: Virgene Dunklau-Mau
Condolence: I am deeply sorry for your loss. Life is never supposed to be cut short. While words cannot express the pain we feel when we lose our loved ones in death, the promise God gives us in Isaiah 25:8 can bring us much comfort where it says he “will swallow up death forever and wipe tears from all faces.” In the very near future, God has given us much to look forward to. We will soon be reunited with our loved ones by means of a resurrection, right here on earth. (Acts 24:15) Until that time, keep close to your hearts the memories of Richard and the time spent together. May the “God of all comfort” be with you in this time of great sadness. (2Corinthians 1:3,4)
Monday May 14, 2018
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