GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – After serving Green Bay, Brown County, and the country for more than six decades, Tom Hinz passed away Saturday at his home, surrounded by family members, at the age of 83.
Hinz grew up in Merrill and went on to fight in the Vietnam War, eventually rising to the rank of sergeant in the U.S. Army. Back on home soil, he spent 31 years with the Green Bay Police Department and became assistant chief.
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He left the department to be Brown County Sheriff, a role he held for three terms from 1997 to 2003. A return to office later followed, this time as Brown County executive, from 2007 to 2011. It was in this capacity that he spearheaded the move of the sheriff’s office from downtown Green Bay to Bellevue, decreasing both costs and response time.
One of Hinz’s most notable contributions to the community came in 2010, when he created the Brown County Veterans Treatment Court to aid in the recovery of veterans facing criminal charges and substance abuse problems.
Hinz will also be remembered for his dedication to the Packers, serving as an original member on the board of directors for the Packers’ Heritage Trail and playing a key role in expanding it and taking it to a higher level to include the more than two dozen sites featured today.
“He would be up there every game, and made it a point of talking to all the veterans and service members and interact with them and talk about their experiences and his experience. Just a super nice guy,” Army veteran of 31 years John Craemer said. “We need to remember those folks and honor their commitment to our country.”
Veterans, in particular, will remember fellow comrade Hinz well because, during nearly every home game, he made it a point to visit Ted Thompson’s skybox, which was usually filled with veterans. There, he greeted and spoke to each of them on an individual level.
“It’s a shared experience, being a veteran, and it’s easier talking to another veteran about veteran stuff. For him and for us,” Craemer said. “It was just awesome to see him up there and taking the time to talk to each individual veteran that was up there, it wasn’t just talking to me.”
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For as much as Hinz appreciated veterans, they appreciated his dedication just as much, and maybe even more.
“He was a Vietnam veteran, so it’s always nice to have a chance to interact with them, because they didn’t receive the welcome home that some of us did. So any chance to chat with those guys and let them know how much we appreciate with them, you got to take advantage of that.”
