Ann L. Fink

1950 - 2024

Ann L. Fink
May 11, 1950 - December 20, 2024
Ann L. Fink was born in Oregon to Clifford and Winnifred Fink on May 11, 1950. Because her father was a career Forester with the USFS, Ann's earliest years were spent in a series of remote ranger stations. The addition of her sister Laurie, a few years later, made the young family complete. Frequent family camping adventures throughout the Oregon landscape introduced Ann to the beauty of the natural world. Her curiosity and love of our natural environment grew deeply as the years went by.
Her father's career eventually brought him to the Wenatchee National Forest in the mid-1960s, where both girls were introduced to the Wenatchee Valley and the Eastern Slope of the Cascades, quite different from either remote Oregon ranger stations or Portland, their father's previous duty station. Ann began skiing during the winters at Mission Ridge, a skill that would add great pleasure later in life, plus some fun and exciting employment. In 1968 Ann graduated from Wenatchee High School, with the next 4-5 years consumed with further education, various jobs, plus dozens of exciting and rewarding outdoor adventures. She eventually acquired a B.A. in Anthropology, with graduate work in Resource Management. at Central Washington University.
In 1972 Ann met her future husband, Chester Marler. Their first "date" was a day trip to the summit of Colchuck Pk. In between adventuring, Ann began working at REI in Seattle. In those days there was only one store in Seattle, located on 11th Avenue near Capitol Hill. A short break from REI gave her time for ski touring in the Swiss Alps and visiting Spain and France part of it solo. After REI came seasonal work with the U.S. Forest Service, primarily helping with the Alpine Lakes Management Plan. During this period Ann continued mountain adventures with friends. Sometimes this included her future husband.
By the end of the 1970s Ann and Chester had reached a point of commitment, and in 1980 married and acquired their permanent home in Leavenworth their home for living and loving. The location was ideal for Ann's Forest Service employment during summers, and professional ski patrolling at Stevens Pass during winters. Avalanche control at Stevens was the highlight of her patrol experience, with its excitement and the chance for first tracks down the mountain. Ann's early Forest Service career was varied maintaining trails using pack mules, timber exams, solo backpacking as a wilderness ranger and heritage resource surveys. As the 80s reached their mid-point Ann left Stevens Pass for a combination of graduate work at CWU, and continuing summer employment with the Forest Service. Before long she was nearly full-time, and stationed alternately with the Lake Wenatchee and Leavenworth Ranger Districts. Ann was always versatile, at various times supervising a wilderness ranger program, and once sent north for several months to the Methow Valley District to write environmental documents. By the mid-90s she focused primarily on heritage resource work, eventually adding expertise in writing environmental documents.
Ann loved gardening, and soon after her marriage established beds around her home with both native and ornamental plants. Below the house she created an organic vegetable garden, a yearly pleasure for the family and their friends. Over the years, Ann began to emphasize native plants for the beds near the home, and added to and enhanced native plants already growing on the remainder of their property. To further her knowledge, she became an active member of the Washington Native Plant Society.
In 1995, shortly after Ann and Chester returned from a canoe trip in Alaska's Brooks Range, life changed. They had decided to take responsibility for raising their three-year-old grand-niece, Simone Mack. This new adventure, though bringing the normal challenges, was very important to her, and she put all her energy, care and love into Simone. Before long, outdoor adventures took a different form, altered to accommodate Simone, but hiking, canoeing and sea kayaking none the less. Ann's Forest Service career continued to develop, and by the late 90s she was located at the Forest Headquarters office in Wenatchee, doing heritage resources work and environmental writing. She kept especially busy balancing work with her responsibilities for Simone.
Ann's three years before retirement were both interesting and challenging in her role as acting Environmental Coordinator for the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. But retirement would be welcome, giving more freedom to travel and explore the natural world unfettered. Always interested in birds, Ann became an avid birder and built enduring friendships with fellow birders, enjoying many days with her binoculars and treasured spotting scope. Her enthusiasm for native plants blossomed further, enjoying numerous field trips and study sessions with fellow amateur and professional botanists. And she and Chester continued their more extended adventures, hiking a striking portion of the John Muir Trail, enjoying the Wind River Range, and even hut-to-hut hiking in the Dolomites and Ortler Ranges.
In 2021 Ann was diagnosed with Ovarian cancer, and underwent surgery and chemo treatments. But this did not mean the end of joy, love and friendships. She continued her gardening, hiking, birding and love of life but at a more measured pace. And Ann never stopped being a parent for Simone, even if Simone had become an adult! For three summers Ann and Chester continued to travel with their small trailer, a base camp for day excursions into the mountains, kayaking salt water, spotting birds and simply enjoying their shared life. Her friends, many of whom were co-workers, gave her much support and happiness.
Ann's life ended at her home on December 20, 2024, receiving care and comfort from Confluence Hospice, and visits by dear friends. Ann is survived by her husband, Chester Marler; daughter/grand-niece, Simone Mack (Seattle); and sister, Laurie Fink (Boise). A memorial gathering will take place in May at a date and location to be announced.