In Loving Memory of James P. Fink, Jr.
James P. Fink, Jr., 95 yrs., of Honey Brook, PA, died on Sunday, May 17, 2020 at The Meadows Health Care Center of the Tel Hai Retirement Community.
He was born on Friday, October 24, 1924 in Camden, NJ. James was the son of the late James P. Sr. and Marie (Handley) Fink. He was the husband of Eunice M. (Basham) Fink, with whom he shared 67 years of marriage.
Jim joined the Navy on December 8, 1941, the day after Pearl Harbor was bombed. He was 17. He joined the Navy because he loved ships, but he was assigned to work in aviation.
During World War 2 he was stationed on the South Pacific island of Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu. While there, among other things, he loaded planes with bombs.
He shot a Kodiak brown bear while stationed at Kodiak, Alaska.
He and his family were stationed in this order, in: Jacksonville, Florida; Whidbey Island, Washington; Memphis, Tennessee; then Patuxent River, Maryland. At the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, he flew 1000 hours on the Navy’s Super Constellation airplanes, manning the height-finding radar station.
Then from 1962-1964, he and his family were stationed at the Roosevelt Roads Naval Air Station in Puerto Rico. There he was promoted to e9, Master Chief Petty Officer. In Puerto Rico he worked with the Hurricane Hunters. They are the squadron of planes which fly into the eye of a hurricane to measure the hurricane’s strength, direction and wind speed.
Soon after returning from Puerto Rico, Jim retired from active service after 22 years. He went on to work as a civilian in the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for 21 years, after which he retired with two pensions from the Navy.
Jim and his wife Eunice, moved to Tel Hai in 1996. His deep faith led him to read through the Bible many times and to pray regularly for his family. Jim and Eunice were generous with charitable contributions to many organizations. His faith also led him to serve in many ways during the 23 years he lived at Tel Hai.
Jim: sorted mail in the mailroom, drove the shuttle, delivered newspapers to Hillcrest residents and pushed residents in wheelchairs to chapel. He especially enjoyed driving for the Amish and getting to know them.
His family will always gratefully remember him as a humble, loving, generous and funny servant-leader.
James was preceded in death by a sister, Evelyn Johnston, and a brother, David Fink.
He is survived by, in addition to his wife Eunice of Honey Brook, by his two sons, Daniel Fink of Sandy, Oregon and Thomas Fink of Hampton, Virginia, as well as by his two brothers, Robert Fink of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin and Raymond Fink of Trenton, NJ. There are eight grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
Later, due to the COVID-19 virus, a memorial service will be held at Tel Hai and a private burial will take place at the Basham family plot at the Darlington, Maryland cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in the memory of James to the Tel Hai Care Assurance Fund, PO Box 190, Honey Brook, PA 19344-0190.