Charlene Fink

Mary Charlene Fink, age 82, passed away peacefully on January 30th at her home in Banning, California, surrounded by her loving family. Born in Toledo, Ohio in 1943, Charlene was the daughter of Edgar and Teresa (T.) Chambers. She was proud of her midwestern roots, and it was in Toledo that she met the love of her life, Duane Fink, who became her husband for 60 years. In 1965, Charlene and Duane moved to sunny, southern California to start a family and a lifelong residency.

Charlene attended St. James Catholic School, Notre Dame Academy High School, and the University of Toledo, where she earned her Bachelor of Education. She devoted her professional and personal life to teaching and educating others, a role that reflected both her love of learning and her deep commitment to helping young, eager students achieve their potential through access to quality education. It was her honor to help award scholarships to deserving young women, enabling them to turn their educational dreams into reality. She was dedicated to students and improving our education system, she felt happiest in a classroom, and she took great pride in watching her grandchildren thrive in school.

A devoted Catholic, Charlene’s faith was a guiding presence throughout her life. She attended 12 years of Catholic school, which shaped her values, compassion for others, and the way she lived each day. She was also a passionate advocate for women’s rights and deeply admired strong women throughout history. Charlene believed in equality, education and the importance of women having a voice. She strongly carried those beliefs into both her personal life and her work as an educator.

After raising her family, she cherished traveling the world with friends, family, and her steadfast companion, Duane. She also enjoyed the opportunity to return to her hometown, Toledo, to see her sisters, many cousins, niece, nephews, and great nieces and nephews. She loved watching football all year long, cheering especially for Notre Dame, University of Toledo and the Rams! An avid shopper, Charlene never met a shopping mall she didn’t love. She had a passion and a talent for wedding coordination, where she not only coordinated her own children’s weddings but the weddings of numerous family and friends over the years, eventually making it into a part-time business. There wasn’t a DJ, photographer, band, caterer or church administrator she couldn’t manage. Charlene was also very passionate about genealogy and spent countless hours researching and salvaging important historical documents to form the family trees of all her family members. To which we are forever grateful!

For 21 years, she enjoyed being an active member of many clubs within her retirement community, such as Happy Cookers, Garden Club, Friendship Club, TOPS, and joined the committee of LifeStyle Magazine as an editor. The Sun Lakes community was where she made countless meaningful connections and found her creative outlet. Charlene cherished her friendships, developing them at each stage of her life, with most of these lasting the remainder of her life.

Charlene is survived by her loving husband, Duane Fink, daughter Karen McKinney, daughter Colleen Masterson (Sean Masterson), son Todd Fink (Amy Fink); her six grandchildren Madilyn Fink, Spencer Fink, Morgan McKinney, Shae McKinney, Ethan Davidson, Finnegan Masterson; her two sisters Nancy Rank, Jeanne Guess (Mike Guess); and many nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by her mom and dad, Edgar and Teresa Chambers, and her sister Lois Chambers.

She will be remembered for her heart-warming smile, dedication to education, advocacy for women, and her love for family, her friends and Elvis! Her legacy lives on in the many lives she touched and the values she instilled in those who knew and loved her.

There will be a memorial mass on March 18, 2026, at 11am at St. Kateri Tekakwitha in Beaumont, followed by a celebration of life at Sun Lakes Club House. Please feel free to wear Irish green.