Ronald J. Flink

Ronald J. Flink, 80, U.S. Navy Vietnam Veteran, of Naperville, at rest March 11, 2023. Beloved husband of Sandra, nee Ehlers. Loving father of Matthew (Erin) Flink and Jennifer (Chuck) Schneider. Cherished grandfather of Hannah and John Flink, Joshua (Amber) Schneider, and Jessica Schneider. Dear brother of Roger (Marian), Dan (Beverly), Doug (Margie), and Sue (Dennis) Zumwalt. Several loving nieces and nephews. Visitation Thursday March 16 from 4 PM to 7 PM at Blake - Lamb Funeral Home 5015 Lincoln Ave., Lisle. Family and friends to meet Friday March 17 for 10:30 AM Mass at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church 2220 Lisson Rd., Naperville. Interment to follow at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, Elwood, IL at 1 PM. For more information please call Blake - Lamb at (630) 964-9392.

Ron was born in Sac City, Iowa where the young farm boy attended a one-room elementary school with one teacher for all eight grades. Days after high school graduation in 1960, he enlisted in the Navy and was trained as a hospital corpsman. He soon participated in the Cuban Missile Crisis aboard a ship encircling Cuba as part of the US blockade. He was soon after assigned to a surgical team supporting the 4th Marine Brigade and was part of the first US amphibious landing in Vietnam at Chu Lai in 1965. Ron left for his second tour of duty in Vietnam in early 1967 when his son was just 12 days old. Once there, he joined the crew of the hospital ship USS Repose off the coast of Vietnam where he ran the blood bank.

After leaving the Navy in 1968, Ron became a lab technician at the VA hospital in Iowa City and began attending the University of Iowa full-time. He set his sights on a career in research administration with the VA hospital system and, shortly after graduation, was selected to run a new regional research office outside San Francisco. He seized the opportunity to return to the Midwest in 1981 when a position became available at the Hines VA Hospital in Maywood, IL. He served as the Associate Director of Research at Hines until retirement, growing one of the most diverse VA departments in the nation. Under Ron’s guidance, the Hines HA research department developed techniques for the implantation of artificial retinas and made life-changing advances in spinal cord injury treatment, among many other endeavors that improved the lives of military veterans and others.

Always with an eye on his personal mission to serve his fellow veterans, Ron was one of the founders of a non-profit entity that would serve to solicit non-VA funding for use in VA research. The Chicago Association for Research and Education in Science (CARES) states as its mission: Dedicated to Improving the Health and Health Care of

United States Military Veterans through Medical Research and Education. CARES subsequently served as the template for the creation of other non-profits associated with VA research programs around the country. CARES, and its nationwide affiliates, are some of Ron’s proudest accomplishments.

Ron was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed fishing and hunting with his family and friends. In later years, he became very interested in genealogy and frequently researched his family’s lineage, occasionally finding “lost” relatives and introducing them to his large, extended family. In retirement, Ron discovered his talent for woodworking, building a shop in his basement and creating custom gifts to share with family and friends. He was proud of his humble beginnings as a farm boy, his service in the Navy, his graduation from the University of Iowa, and his long career with the Veterans Administration. Most of all, he enjoyed time with his family, sharing stories and love with everyone.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Blake-LambFuneralHome.com for the Flink family.