Andrea Rinkel

Andrea Lee Behrens Rinkel, 81, passed away on Wednesday, February 17 at McCrite Plaza Briarcliff, North Kansas City, MO.  Andrea was born June 21, 1939 to Leroy “Lee” and Silver (Swearingen) Behrens in San Antonio, Texas.

She spent much of her childhood living in Texas, North Carolina, Florida, Kansas and in Japan due to her father’s service in the U.S. Air Force.

Andrea Behrens was united in marriage to Richard Clark Rinkel on September 13, 1959 in Topeka, Kansas.

She started college at University of Kansas and went back to University of Missouri-Kansas City to earn a B.A. and a Master’s degree, both in Art Education when her two children were in elementary school. Andrea worked for the Park Hill R-5 School District where she was an art teacher at Park Hill High School for 30 years, retiring in 2007. She taught drawing and painting, ceramics, and computer graphics. After retiring, Andrea was a substitute teacher for the district as well as a ceramics professor at Park College. She also worked in restoration of several murals in the Kansas City area.

Andrea is survived by her daughter, Laurel Rinkel Downey and husband Todd, a grandson, Cooper Downey and fiancée Katie Gabbert and three great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard Rinkel in 1997 and her son, Creighton Rinkel in 1992.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, March 1st at Terrace Park Funeral Home and Cemetery. Visitation will begin at 10am with service to follow at 11am.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Nelson-Atkins Museum at the link below, please note gifts to be made in Andrea Rinkel’s name and for the Education department.