John "Jack" F. Fink

He was born Dec. 17, 1931, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to Francis A. and Helen Hartman Fink and grew up in Huntington, Indiana, the eldest of six siblings. In 1955, he married Marie Waldron of Philadelphia, who died in 2010. Together they had seven children: Regina, Barbara, Robert (Maria), Stephen (Tonya), Therese (Steven) Meyerhoff, David (Heather) and John (Candice), 11 grandchildren – Angela (James Baumann) Pineiro, Joseph Pineiro, Jackie (Rob) Bellenfant, Brian (Megan) Fink, Hilary (Drew) Thomas, Hannah (John) McKenna, Tyler (Ashton) Fink, Jack Meyerhoff, Claire (Ryan) Clymer, David Meyerhoff and Erin Fink – and 11 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his second wife, Connie Winchester Fink, two brothers - William and Tom (Sheila) – two sisters, Ann Eckert and Carol (John) Fitzgerald – and numerous nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, he is predeceased by his brother James.

Jack’s passing leaves an unfillable hole in the lives of his children and grandchildren. While we mourn his loss, we are grateful to have had this remarkable example of Christian faith and love as our father and role model.

An avid reader, he was smart and thoughtful and remained interested in current affairs until his final illness. He made others smile with his wry sense of humor.

Jack had an illustrious career as a Catholic journalist, sharing his faith for more than 70 years as a vocation rather than a career.

After skipping a grade in school, he graduated from Huntington Catholic High School at the young age of 16. Choosing to take a year off before entering college, he began his lifelong career as a Catholic evangelist at Our Sunday Visitor in Huntington, Indiana, where he reviewed and edited manuscripts. He then studied journalism and graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1953. He served as a lieutenant in the Air Force for two years before rejoining the staff of Our Sunday Visitor, a national Catholic publishing company, in 1956. He served in editorial and business capacities, including president and publisher, until he accepted the position of editor of The Criterion in 1984.

He was active in the Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada, serving as president, 1973-1975. He also was president of the International Federation of Catholic Press Associations, 1980-1986. In 1981, the Catholic Press Association gave him its highest award, the St. Francis de Sales Award for “outstanding contributions to Catholic journalism.”

While at Our Sunday Visitor, he founded the OSV Foundation as a charitable foundation. He was a member of the board of Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities, 1977-1984, a board member of the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, 1978-1985, a board member of the International Catholic Organizations Center, 1979-1985, and a member of the communications committee of the U.S. Catholic Conference, 1981-1984.

In Huntington he was a member of the board and executive committee of the First National Bank, 1965-1985, member of the board of trustees of Huntington College, 1978-1981, president of the Chamber of Commerce 1966 and 1967, chairman of the United Fund Drive 1963, president of the United Way 1973-1974, board member of the YMCA, 1966-1978, and board member of the Huntington Medical Memorial Fund 1978-1984. The Huntington Chamber of Commerce gave him its highest civic award, Chief of the Flint Springs Tribe, in 1971. He was named Rotarian of the Year in 1980.

He was editor of The Criterion from 1984 to 1996, when he was named editor emeritus. He continued to write a weekly column, editorials and articles in retirement.

Jack continued to write well into his retirement. He was the author of 17 published religious books: Moments in Catholic History; Traveling with Jesus in the Holy Land; Married Saints; The Doctors of the Church in the First Millennium; The Doctors of the Church in the Second Millennium; American Saints; Memoirs of a Catholic Journalist; Letters to St. Francis de Sales: Mostly on Prayer; Patriotic Leaders of the Church; Jesus in the Gospels; Biblical Women; St. Thomas More: Model for Modern Catholics; Future American Saints?; Mere Catholicism: What the Catholic Church Teaches and Practices; 100 Important Events in Catholic History; Introducing the Old Testament; and How Could This Church Survive?: It Must Be More Than a Human Institution. He edited The Mission and Future of the Catholic Press.

He also wrote 48 monthly “Focus on Faith” columns for The Indianapolis Star beginning in 1998 until 2002. The Star also published 86 of his book reviews. He also contributed 38 book reviews to the Catholic magazine St. Anthony Messenger.

He served as president of the Indianapolis Serra Club. In 1994, the Notre Dame Club of Indianapolis gave him its award of the year. He was a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre and a Knight of Malta.

He was a parishioner of St. Luke Catholic Church in Indianapolis, where he served in various capacities. He also volunteered in the Office of the Catholic Chaplain at I.U. Health Methodist Hospital for about 14 years.

Jack enjoyed travel and visited 72 countries for pleasure or business and all 50 states.

Jack will be remembered in a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Luke’s Church, 7575 Holliday Drive East, Indianapolis, on Monday, July 29, at 11:30 a.m. A visitation will be held at Leppert Mortuary, 740 E 86th St, Indianapolis, the evening before from 2 - 6pm. He will be interred in a crypt in the mausoleum at Our Lady of Peace Cemetery with his first wife, Marie.