The Brinker Family
Pat Brinker was a devoted wife, mother, teacher, and volunteer who believed that education could change the course of a young person’s life. She once shared with us that, on paydays, as she was on her way home from teaching, she would stop at the bank and make a deposit into her daughters’ college fund. It was never a question of whether Shelly, Karen, and Kristen would go to college; it was just a question of when. Pat and her husband Chuck, also a teacher, knew not every student had that kind of head start. She never forgot that there were students with the potential to go far, but no clear path to get there.
Pat grew up in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, earned a degree in English from Gettysburg College, and then traveled to Japan and Germany, teaching overseas and building a life far from home.
She met Chuck in Germany, where he was a fellow teacher with the Department of Defense overseas program. They came back to the States, married in 1972, and settled in Riverside. Chuck taught math at Ramona High School for 28 years. Pat raised their three daughters, became an active PTA parent, then returned to teaching after earning a master’s in special education, closing out her career leading a high school teen mom program. As teachers, the Brinkers fully understood what education can do for a young person who needs a door opened.
When Chuck faced a 30-year battle with Parkinson’s, Pat shouldered the weight of his care. He passed away in April 2020, but the pandemic made a traditional memorial impossible at that time. A few years later, Pat clipped and saved an article in the Press Enterprise that mentioned IECF as a resource for people looking to establish scholarships and funds in the community. Then, about six months later, she picked up the phone and spoke with Claudia Preza, CSPG, IECF’s Charitable Giving Officer for Riverside. Pat chose to honor Chuck’s life by creating something permanent: a scholarship fund at IECF.
In our early conversations with Pat about the fund, she told us about Chuck’s deep connection to his students. “Way deep down, he had this great love for Ramona and for the kids who went there,” she said. “He saw the potential. There were really great students there, and a lot just were unable to attend college. A scholarship seemed like a very appropriate memorial.”
Pat had spent years on the college-bound and scholarship committees at the Assistance League of Riverside, reading student applications and thinking carefully about what a scholarship should actually do for a student. “When I look at my grandson and what it’s probably going to cost for him to go to college, $1,000 is really not very much,” she said. “For somebody who really needs it, it’s just not enough.”
Working with Claudia, Pat designed the Charles “Chuck” Brinker Scholarship Fund to award up to $10,000 annually to Ramona High School and Riverside Unified graduates pursuing degrees in mathematics or math-related fields, with the possibility of renewal throughout a student’s undergraduate years. She funded it through a qualified charitable distribution from her IRA, and she appreciated that IECF worked with her to design a fund that reflected exactly what she had in mind.
Gavin McGowan, the first Charles “Chuck” Brinker Scholarship recipient
In 2025, the fund made its first award. Gavin McGowan, a Ramona graduate, is now studying Civil Engineering at UC Berkeley with help from the Charles “Chuck” Brinker Memorial Scholarship.
It’s worth noting that Chuck was also a skilled carpenter outside the classroom. He built furniture, bookcases, and a playhouse for his own kids. In a very special turn of events, we learned that Gavin is a woodworker, too. He serves as the construction quality control officer for Timber Strong, a Cal woodworking competition team that just finished building a playhouse for an Oakland elementary school.
Gavin wrote to the Brinker family after receiving his award. He said, in part: “I am so proud of where I’m from and the people from my area who do great work like this… I will not let you or our city down.”
Claudia had the opportunity to read that letter to Pat over the phone, connecting her to the immediate impact of the gift.
Pat passed away on March 27, 2026, at the age of 86. She is survived by her daughters Shelly, Karen, and Kristen; sons-in-law Matt and Jon; and three grandchildren, Nicholas, Kaitlyn, and Owen. It is our great honor to steward the Charles “Chuck” Brinker Scholarship Fund, ensuring that both Chuck and Pat are remembered for their enduring impact and the pathways they’ve created for Inland Empire students.
“Pat was an inspirational IECF donor and she became a friend,” says Claudia. “I take great pride in having worked with her to shape this scholarship. She cared deeply about Ramona High School and its students. Pat thoughtfully recognized the unique value of a renewable scholarship. She understood this scholarship could give students the stability to focus on their education. Carrying her vision forward, alongside her daughters, is a responsibility we hold with great care and gratitude.”
To make a donation in Pat’s memory, visit this link, where you may also leave a note for the family. To learn how to establish a scholarship or legacy fund of your own, contact our Charitable Giving team at 951.241.7778 or giving@iegives.org.
We invite you to share your fond memories of Pat. To ensure this space remains a supportive environment, all reflections are reviewed by an IECF administrator before they appear. This brief pause helps us protect the integrity of our community and the privacy of the family.