Pat Fink Remembers

"One of the most outstanding memories I have of Dad is that he always provided for his family. He had eight children and it wasn't always easy for him to provide the things we needed in the way of food, clothing, and a place to live. But he always found a way to do it. Sometimes he had to work two jobs to make ends meet but he took his family responsibilities seriously and did what he had to do.

"He was never out of work for very long at a time. he would take on any kind of work as long as it would help him provide for us. 

"When Mike and I were pretty young, maybe 10 to 12 years old, the brothers asked Dad to help out in the Circuit Assembly's trucking department. Dad told the brothers he would only do it if he could take along his boys (Mike and I). That was a great experience for us. We loved working the the trucking and food service departments. Dad made sure that anytime there was work to be done around the Kingdom Hall he always involved Mike and I. 

"One year our congregation was asked to go to Indio, California, to a vineyard Bob Hope let the brothers pick grapes in for a district convention. Mike and I went along on that trip. It was 109 degrees at 9 a.m. Gnats crawled all over the sweat that poured off us, but it was still great fun being able to help the brothers and associate with the friends. When Dad worked with the brothers it seemed to be some of his happiest times. 

"Dad was always great at coming up with ideas for service meeting skits. One time the setting was that he was out in service and the person he called on was mowing the lawn with a push mower. The grass was a piece of shag carpet and it kept getting wadded up in the mower. The audience was in stitches.

"Dad instilled in all of his children a good work ethic and tried to help us appreciate the things we had and the things we worked for. Mike and I were earning our own money at a very early age: painting fences, mowing lawns, throwing newspapers... whatever we could do to earn a little extra money. We learned early on if we wanted something we had to earn it. There was no such thing as a free hand out. Because of that I never had to ask my Dad for money or any financial help the whole time Darcy and I have been married. I'm very grateful that Dad saw the importance of teaching us these things. 

"We always had chores to do around the house before and after school from as long as I can remember. We worked with Dad on his gardening jobs too. I don't ever remember telling my Mom or Dad that I was bored. If I did, I knew he'd find something for me to do. I think the training Dad gave us during those years we grew up was his way of saying he loved us. After he's resurrected, I'm looking forward to working with him again, this time helping to restore the earth into a Paradise. So all I can say is I hope he's good and rested when the time comes."

~Patrick Fink, son