Albert J. Fink

Albert James Fink was born on May 14, 1949 to Albert Vernon Fink and Teresa Fink. He grew up on the south side of Chicago with his siblings; John, Kathy, David, Jimmy, and Jeff.
After graduating from high school, he joined the Navy. Basic was at Great Lakes Naval Base. His first assignment was the Ceremonial Guard in Washington, D. C. where he did military burials in Arlington National Cemetery and ceremonies at the White House and Capitol. The second assignment took him to sea on an oiler/munitions supply ship.
In 1970 he married Mary Joyce Bokina. They moved to Colorado to go to school and never left. They were joined by Allison Jennifer Fink in 1979 and by Christopher Jerome Fink in 1984. Our family grew to include John Charlton and Courtney Elshof.
Al joined Poudre Valley Fire Department in 1978, and when they consolidated with the Fort Collins Fire Department, he became a member of Poudre Fire Authority. He enjoyed his 31 years working in various capacities in the fire service.
Al's enthusiasm for the outdoors was shared by the family. We went camping, hiking, fishing, and canoeing. He built a year round home in Crystal Lakes where the family was close to nature for 20 years.
He felt that Boys Scouts gave him opportunities that were not available in the inner city. When Chris joined the Scouts, Al rejoined as an adult. He prepared and escorted the boys on a 50-mile backpacking trip at Philmont Boy Scout Ranch and a multiday canoeing trip through the Boundary Waters Wilderness.
When the children were on their own Al became an enthusiastic traveler. The camper trailer took us across many states where we explored state and national parks. Wandering feet took us out of the United States where we discovered the wider world.
During retirement Al continued his volunteer work. He was a crew boss and equipment manager for Wilderness Restoration, did river and trail restoration with Trout Unlimited, was a ranger assistant for Fort Collins Natural Areas, and belonged to a group that did handyman work for non-profits.
For over 30 years Al enjoyed creating stained glass art. He had a studio in the backyard where he spent hours creating a variety of things. He never sold his pieces but gave them to family, friends, and non-profits for fundraisers.
After 75 turns around the sun, Al left us on September 25, 2024.