Robert Hinck, a former mayor and trustee of the Village of Mineola, died Tuesday night in his sleep of natural causes at the age of 88.
Hinck is remembered by his children and colleagues as a kind, generous and loving father and friend as well as a devoted and effective public servant.
“He had pride in his town,” said his youngest son, Thomas Hinck. “He’d always go out of his way to help people out, even strangers. Sometimes we would be walking or driving around, and he would be saying hello to everybody. I would say, ‘Who’s that?’ He’d say, ‘I don’t know. Saying hello is just the right thing to do.’”
Robert Hinck was born on March 26, 1937, in Queens. His family moved to Mineola when he was around 8 years old, a community he quickly fell in love with, according to Thomas. He served the village as a trustee from 1974 to 1991 and as mayor from 1991 to 1994.
During his first run for office, he created a new village party, the Hometown Party. His son said he came up with the idea for the party while riding the LIRR with a group of people who frequently commuted together. His party would eventually take control of the village, winning and holding a majority on the board for years, something Thomas said was a point of pride for his father.
“He went door to door knocking. His goal was to knock on every door,” Thomas said. When his party took a majority on the board, Thomas said Hinck called him while at college, waking him up in the early hours of the morning to tell him the news.
“He was proud of that. It was one of his best moments,” Thomas said. “He had a mission to change things and to make the village better.”
His son said Hinck was motivated to run for office to give back to the village and crack down on illegal housing at the time. He also supported the village’s Community Development Block Grants for seniors who needed funds to repair their homes, and is the reason why the Village Hall and the Fire Department are where they are today.
The Village Hall and Fire Department were previously in one building, where the current Fire Department is. Under Hinck, the village purchased the building across the street, where the Village Hall is now, creating a new home for the village’s government and providing the Fire Department with more space.
Nassau County Legislator Scott Strauss, who served as the mayor of Mineola after Hinck, said he would frequently look to Hinck for advice and would meet with him regularly to discuss issues facing the village. He described Hinck as a close family friend, as he grew up next door to the Hinck family, playing with his children and being coached on his Little League team.
“When I became mayor, he was very supportive of me,” Strauss said. “I reached out to him very, very often for a little guidance, a little mentorship. He always guided me and gave me great advice.”
Current Mayor of Mineola, Paul Pereira, also spoke to Hinck’s impact on the village and community.
“He was a treasure of our community. I’m really glad that I had the opportunity to get to know Mr. Hinck,” Pereira said. “He was very knowledgeable and community first.”
Though Hinck accomplished much during his time in village government, Thomas said he believed his father was most proud of his relationship with his wife.
“His proudest accomplishment was his relationship with my mom,” Thomas said. “When he passed, he wasn’t sick or suffering anything, but I think maybe he died of his broken heart because she died two years ago. He would always talk about my mom.”
Before entering village government, Hinck worked with banks and as a loan officer. He earned an undergraduate degree and an MBA from St. John’s University. He also served in the U.S. Army from 1958 to 1960 at Fort Bragg, developing a high degree of patriotism, his son said he passed down to his children and grandchildren.
He also coached the village’s Little League team, was a member of the Knights of Columbus, was an Eucharistic Minister at Corpus Christi Church and volunteered throughout the community.
“He’s touched so many lives through his work in the community, as a Little League coach, in the Knights of Columbus, as trustee, as mayor, in helping senior citizens stay in their homes,” Strauss said. “He’s touched more lives than most people will ever realize.”
He is survived by his four children, Thomas, 59, Kevin, 61, Robert, 62 and Jacqueline, 63, as well as his 11 grandchildren.
