Margaret Jenkins Brinkley, 85, of Deer Park, Texas, went to her glory on Monday, March 30, 2026. She died quickly and peacefully during her morning routine of sitting at her favorite chair, reading her bible, and enjoying a cup of coffee. Her bible was found open at Revelations, Chapter 19.

Margaret was born on June 27, 1940, in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, to Consula (Ryder) Jenkins and Ray Jenkins of Mountain Grove, Virginia. She was raised in Bath County and graduated from Valley High School in 1959. She also attended San Jacinto College.

She married her high school sweetheart, James (Jim) Ellsworth Brinkley, Sr., in 1960 and lived a rich life filled with career success, artistic talent, international travel, close friendships, and deep devotion to her family. Margaret’s beautiful oil paintings are proudly displayed in homes throughout Virginia and Texas.

In 1970, Margaret and her family moved to Texas, where she became a member of Greenwood Baptist Church, longtime member of Bellaire Reformed Baptist Church, and, finally, a member of Providence Baptist Church.

Professionally, she worked in banking and finance, holding various positions in both Virginia and Texas before retiring. She often told stories of being a witness, but not participant, in Houston’s wild financial shenanigans in the boom years of the 1970s and 80s that led to multiple bank failures and the Savings and Loan crisis, which led to regulatory restructuring of the banking industry.

She is survived by her children, James (Jay) Ellsworth Brinkley, Jr., of Buchanan, VA, and Tripp Corbett Brinkley and wife Brenda Brinkley of Clear Lake, TX; six grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and her beloved black cat, Toby Joanna. A host of feral cats, opossums, raccoons, squirrels, birds, at least one skunk, and other backyard creatures will miss her generous offerings and watchful eye.

She was preceded in death by her infant sister, Fayette Diana Jenkins.

A memorial service will be held for her many friends at Deer Park Funeral Directors, 6:00 pm, on April 2. A funeral service will be held 2:00 p.m., Monday, April 6, 2026, at McLaughlin & Young Funeral Home. Interment will be in Warm Springs Cemetery. The family will receive friends one hour prior to services from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, Margaret would prefer… oh, who are we kidding? Margaret would prefer flowers—lots of flowers. Those who knew her will agree she’d want the parlor overflowing.