Orie Theodore (Ted) Dinkins, Jr., 78, departed this Earth on August 26, 2023, after a prolonged but valiant battle with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. Until his final days, Ted continued to amuse his kids and grandkids with stories from his lifetime and those of his ancestors.

Ted was the only child of Orie Theodore Dinkins, Sr. and Verna Victoria May. A proud native of Texas, Ted was born in Houston, Texas, on June 27, 1945, and spent his early formative years in Tomball and Trinity, Texas. He moved to Livingston, Texas, for his high school years and graduated from Livingston High School.  He received his Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from The University of Texas at Austin in 1966, followed by his Doctor of Jurisprudence cum laude from The University of Texas School of Law in 1969, where he was Order of the Coif and an associate editor of the Texas Law Review.

Ted was known for his sharp mind and keen wit. His stories of his upbringing in East Texas were legendary, as was his charming East Texas drawl, about which one of his friends quipped, "He could draw out his three-letter name into the next county". Despite his many successes, Ted was very humble and most who met him on a casual basis would be unaware of his many achievements.

Ted was proud to have been a Partner with the law firm Butler, Binion, Rice, Cook & Knapp where he specialized in probate litigation. It was there that he litigated his most well-known case, as the attorney ad litem by court appointment, representing the unknown heirs of the estate of Howard Hughes. In 1985, Ted, with his esteemed colleagues Linda Kelly, Judy Lenox, and Randall Lamb founded the law firm of Dinkins, Kelly, Lenox & Lamb. In 1993, he moved to Brenham, Texas, where he opened his solo law practice and resided until his passing.

Ted was instrumental in the restoration of historic downtown Brenham, investing in and restoring several historic buildings. He served as Treasurer of the "Save Our Simon" foundation, which raised over $2 million to redevelop the Simon Theater into the City's Visitor Center. He personally invested in and restored the Farmers National Bank Building, circa 1870, and the Shipman Building, circa 1848, the former which won an award from the Texas Downtown Association for Best Commercial Interior, and the latter was a finalist for Best Re-Use of a Historic Building.

In addition to being a lawyer and preservationist, Ted was also a part-time rancher, holding close to his heart properties he acquired on his own and others passed down from preceding generations. He was an avid hunter in his early years and a dedicated fisherman always.

Ted was a loyal friend, father, and grandfather. He will be dearly missed, but he will live on in the stories of his friends and family. His memory will be cherished by his loving daughters, Anne Dinkins Briggs of Brenham and Amy Dinkins Allen of Bellaire, son-in-law Joseph Allen, along with his four grandchildren, Garrett Theodore Briggs, Beck Parker Briggs, Victoria Grace Allen, and Nathaniel Preston Allen. Ted also leaves behind his cousin, Cheryl Jackson, who was like a sister to him, and her husband, Richie. His memory will live on with his relatives and close friends, especially Cathy Lewis and her family, as well as his former wife, Carol Eggert Dinkins. Ted is preceded in death by his parents, Orie Theodore Dinkins, Sr. and Verna Victoria May.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation from 3pm to 6pm the afternoon of Friday, September 1st, at Cochran Funeral Home in Livingston, Texas.

A final viewing and funeral service will be held on Saturday, September 2nd at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brenham, Texas (305 W. Third St.). The final visitation will be held from 9am to 10am, followed by a funeral service at 10am. A reception in the church parlor will immediately follow the service.

The interment and graveside service will be held at Evans Chapel Cemetery in Leona, Texas, at 2:30pm on Saturday, September 2nd.

Pallbearers: Garrett Briggs, Beck Briggs, and Nathaniel Allen.

For those desiring, the family respectfully requests memorial donations be made to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation at https://www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org/ or St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church at https://www.stpaulsbrenham.org/give.

Pallbearers: Garrett Briggs, Beck Briggs, and Nathaniel Allen.