HOLDEN
Earl Edward Zink, 100, passed away peacefully in his granddaughter’s home in Holden, Massachusetts on March 26, 2022.
Born in Salem, Indiana on March 8, 1922 his parents Harry Zink and Mabel (Coglazier) Zink knew he would make a mark on this earth. After graduating from Salem High School, he was a decorated combat veteran, serving as Yeoman 1st class aboard USN LST 908 in the Pacific during WWII. He returned to Indiana to work alongside his father and brother in Columbus, Indiana as part owner of Zink Construction. Soon after, he met and married the love of his life, Della Castor, on December 1, 1946 and on December 1, 2021 they celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary in Boston, Massachusetts. While working full time as a carpenter he built their first home in the newly developed neighborhood of Mead Village in Columbus. Later, Earl worked at Storm Sash Corporation until his retirement and move to Jacksonville, Florida. In recent years, he was an advocate for veterans’ services and received a challenge medal from the Secretary of the VA during the opening for the new Veterans Clinic in Worcester, Massachusetts. He was a lifelong member of the American Legion. His passions were fishing, Red Sox baseball and his family.
Those remaining to carry on his legacy are his loving wife, Della, son Steven and wife Candace of Port Charlotte, Fl, daughter Debra Rust and husband Tom of Jacksonville, FL and son-in-law Bob Hamilton also of Port Charlotte, Fl; grandchildren Kye Flotte (husband Terry and children Lindsay and Jesse), Damon Zink (wife Adrienne), Jackson Rust (wife Brooke and children Gavin and Leyton), Nickolas Rust (wife Heather and children Colin and Abigail), Ashley Rust Chamberlain (husband Mike and children Lillian and Madalyn) and Christopher Zink (wife Heather and son Sam).
He is preceded in death by his parents, brothers Gerald and Richard, sisters Judith Kaufman and Mary Freeman, daughter Karen Hamilton and granddaughter Laressa Chesnut Gribbons.
Services will be private. Memorials can be made to the Jewish Healthcare Center Hospice Fund or the Veterans Fund for Health Research at UMass Chan medical school, both in Worcester, MA.
