ROCKPORT — David Hodgkins Jinno died Friday, April 19, 2024. Born in Portland, Maine October 1, 1938, he was the son of Josephine and Shigeyo Jinno.

He spent his early years in New York City where he attended The Birch Wathen Lenox School. He later went on to spend summers in Camden where he and numerous cousins helped out at his parents’ hotel, the Portlaw Inn.

During his time in Maine, he also participated in Camden Summer Theater and learned furniture making as an apprentice of his uncle at Pinelyne Furniture in Windham. He received his post-secondary education at the Boston Museum School of Art and Philadelphia College of Art. He was a member of the Coast Guard from 1959 to 1961 when he received an honorable discharge after being injured. He then went on to be the Art Director for Down East Magazine in the early to mid-60s. 

He met his wife of nearly 55 years, Margaret-Elaine Bailey Jinno, when they both attended The University of Maine at Gorham. They graduated and were married in 1969 and began a pottery business selling both wholesale and retail across Maine and the US. Along with the business they taught at numerous schools in Maine including Kents Hill, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, and David became the head of the ceramics department at Maine College of Art (MECA).

After studying many religions including the ancient mysticism of his Japanese ancestors he felt the divine calling to follow Jesus Christ as the only way to salvation and eternity and devoted the rest of his life to following that pursuit. He attended Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary and graduated in 1978 with a Masters in Divinity and moved that same year to North Bennington, Vermont where he would go on to pastor the North Bennington Baptist Church for the next 35 years. During that time, he was President of the US branch of Love-N-Care Ministries International and made many month-long mission trips to India. He also pursued his doctorate at Trinity College of the Bible and Theological Seminary, in Indiana. 

He was the author of Jesus’ Foot. He self-published Lessons from the Clay, developed a youth curriculum titled “Making Choices” and authored a number of unpublished manuscripts.

David is survived by his wife, Margaret-Elaine Jinno of Rockport; a daughter, Becca Gildred and her husband Fred of Rockport; a son, Joshua Jinno and his partner Meghan of Saco; and a son, Jeremiah “JJ” Jinno and his partner Katie Franco of San Bruno, California.

He leaves behind 12 grandchildren: Kathryn, Marissa and Ethan Gildred, Eben, Eli, and Emmett Jinno, Nick, Thomas, and Cameron Seaman, Ben Jinno, and Eli and Addy Reiber as well as numerous nieces and nephews and a couple of great grandchildren.

He was predeceased by his brother, Gaylord Steven Jinno; a nephew, Demetrius “Michi” Jinno, as well as a son and daughter from an earlier marriage: Jon Jinno and Heather Seaman, and one grandson, Steve Jinno.

A celebration of life service will be held on what would have been David and Margaret-Elaine’s 55th wedding anniversary, May 10, 2024, at 11 a.m., at Chestnut Street Baptist Church in Camden.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory can be made to: Love-N-Care Ministries India (℅ PO Box 535, North Bennington, VT 05257) ;or Chestnut Street Baptist Church, P.O. Box 833, Camden, Maine 04843. 

To share a memory or story with David’s family, please visit their online Book of Memories at www.bchfh.com

Arrangements are in the care of Burpee, Carpenter & Hutchins Funeral Home, Rockland.