Obituaries : * Richard Carl Brinkman; Cruise Lines Executive

Richard Carl Brinkman, a Simi Valley man who started as a reservations clerk and became vice president of one of the world’s largest cruise lines, died Monday at 53.

The cause was cancer, said his wife, Carolyn Brinkman.

Alan Buckelew, senior vice president of customer services at Princess Cruise Lines, said that in 21 years at the company, Brinkman expanded the firm’s air travel business to handle 20 times the original number of passengers.

“He had the ability to grow with the company,” Buckelew said. “He’ll be sorely missed.”

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Brinkman attended Norwich University in Vermont before beginning a 30-year career in the travel industry. At Princess, he was responsible for almost 400,000 round-trip airline reservations a year, Buckelew said.

He also enjoyed his hobby as an amateur radio operator, his wife said.

In addition to his wife of 29 years, he is survived by his sons, John, Peter and Matthew Brinkman of Simi Valley, and his daughter, Ann Fruehling of Jacksonville, Fla. He also leaves his father, William Brinkman of Olympia Fields, Ill., and a brother, Charles Brinkman of Benson Harbor, Mich.

The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Reardon Simi Valley Mortuary, Simi Valley.