Timothy Val Tincknell (55) of Chicago, IL passed after a courageous battle with Glioblastoma Multiforme Stage IV brain cancer. A Memorial service was held on Saturday, August 20, 2022, at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago at 11:00am.
Tim is survived by his wife Tara and son Rex, father George of Glen Ellyn, IL, in-laws Charles and Yvonne Williams of Waynesville, OH, siblings Tammy (Charles) Van Ryzin of Tewksbury, MA and brother Tyler (Tracy) of Lombard, IL and several nieces and nephews. Tim was preceded in death by his mother Mary Tincknell in 2018.
Tim was born on November 3, 1966 to Mary and George Tincknell. He was the third of three children. He graduated from Batavia High School in 1985 where he lettered in football, basketball, and baseball. Tim earned a Bachelor’s Degree at Purdue University and Master’s degrees from University of Southern California and University of Illinois at Chicago.
Tim married Tara in 2008. They met at the University of Illinois Medical District in Chicago, where they both worked. They welcomed their son Rex in 2010. As a family, they enjoyed the Chicago lake front, Lincoln Park Zoo, and tailgating at Northwestern football games. Their family vacations to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin Dells, Starved Rock, and a driving trip through Iowa and Nebraska where they visited the Field of Dreams were especially memorable. They would often walk across the street to DePaul University to play football and wiffleball, where Tim was the designated pitcher.
Tim was an avid reader with a particular interest in astronomy and the NASA space program. He loved sports and excelled in any activity with a ball. As a child he organized daily neighborhood games at the schoolyard that lasted well after dark. He was a rabid sports fan who followed Purdue and USC basketball and football – and had also been a season ticket holder of the Cubs and Bears. He is thankful for having attended the first night game at Wrigley Field, and finally seeing the Cubs as World Series Champions. Additionally, he loved golf. He played frequently with friends, enjoyed weekends away playing new and noteworthy courses, his time and friendships at his local GOLFTEC facility, and was proud of playing his best golf ever at the time of his cancer diagnosis.
His early social relationships and work experiences ingrained a tremendous work ethic, which helped create the successful adult he later became. He was a financial planner for Edward Jones and project manager at several world-class medical centers in the Chicago area including the American Academy of Pediatrics, Loyola University, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and DaVita Kidney Care.
Most importantly, Tim was a devoted husband and father, loving son, beloved friend, and a doting master to his dog Sammie. He enjoyed coaching at a neighborhood basketball camp and walking his son Rex to Oscar Mayer school, where he was a regular volunteer who directed traffic at student drop off and as a reader for Rex’s class.
After walking away from a serious auto accident in 1997, Tim realized that life is not promised to you and made a commitment to enjoy people and experiences, rekindle relationships, and travel with his family. Although cancer eventually robbed him of his physical endurance and ability to communicate, Tim never relinquished his positivity and spirit – personifying his beloved USC fight song to “Fight On”.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Tim’s honor to Head for the Cure Foundation. Tim Tincknell | Head for the Cure