Gordon V.A. Brincklé, 92

MIDDLETOWN - Gordon V.A. Brincklé, a longtime resident of Middletown, who was the subject of the 2003 documentary entitled "The Projectionist," died Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2007, at his home. He was 92.

Mr. Brincklé was born in Philadelphia, where his early fascination with movie palaces and the projection of films propelled him to spend his entire life working in and around movie theaters.

In 1942, he was drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II.

In 1943, he married his loving wife, Dorothy "Dot," with whom he shared 64 years of marriage. They had one daughter, Sandy, who was the apple of her parent's eye.

While enlisted, Mr. Brincklé fulfilled one of his lifetime dreams, which was to work as a projectionist. He projected training films for U.S. troops in Fort Eustis, Va., Fort Stewart, Ga., and Fort Gordon, Texas, before being sent to India and China.

While stationed overseas, Mr. Brincklé constructed and ran the outdoor Fox Theatre on top of a mountain in Kunming, China. It was at the Fox Theatre that he screened Hollywood movies for U.S. troops until 1945.

In 1946, Mr. Brincklé moved with his wife to Middletown, where he worked at the Everett Theatre for 33 years. His roles at the Everett ranged from manager to projectionist, and he took obvious pride in being the person behind the scenes that brought enjoyment to eager audiences.

Throughout his life, Mr. Brincklé held onto the dream of owning his very own movie palace, not unlike those that he visited as a boy. This led him to construct a small-scale movie palace in his parent's Philadelphia basement in 1933. This early theater was eventually dismantled, however, he proceeded to construct a second theater in his Delaware home. This theater and his life story were featured in "The Projectionist" documentary.

Mr. Brincklé was preceded in death by his parents, Marion G. and Helen Brincklé; his loving wife of 64 years, Dorothy R. Brincklé, on Nov. 13, 2007; and his daughter, Sandra Louise Brincklé Bowser, in December 2001.

He is survived by a grandson, Thomas M. Bowser and his wife Angela of Delaware, Ohio; two great-grandchildren; and his dear friends, Sam and Margaret "Peg" Bowser and Kendall Messick, all of Middletown.

Funeral services will be 1 p.m. Friday in the Daniels & Hutchison Funeral Home, 212 N. Broad St., Middletown, where a visitation will be two hours prior.

Interment with military honors will follow at Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Bear.