July 16, 1942 - December 3, 2022
John (Patrick) Brink Jr, 80, of Olathe, Kansas passed away surrounded by his loving family. This kind, brave, humble, and generously cheerful soul went peacefully to heaven on December 3, 2022. He was a beloved dad, grandpa, brother, and friend who absolutely adored his wife and family, and whose deep faith impacted everyone around him.
John was born to John Patrick Brink Sr and Idalene Minnie (Winebrenner) Brink on July 16, 1942 while his dad was serving in World War II. The story goes that when baby Johnny came into this world, his dad went A.W.O.L. to go see him before he was given leave to do so!
John was raised in Nebraska, and he was a lifelong Cornhusker fan. The family lived in a few places, but most of his youth was spent in Boys Town, Nebraska where his dad worked. He loved to tell stories of the wonderful times he had playing, fishing, riding horses, farming, and going to school amongst the Boys Town youth. A favorite story was of the time he and his brother caught a whole mess of fish, and his mom made them clean them all. He’d always smile real big at that and say, “We didn’t mind though, because we sure liked fish better than eating beans on Fridays.” He’d explain that back then Catholic families abstained from meat every Friday of the year, not just at Lent. His family then moved to Plattsmouth, NE for his senior year. He graduated from Falls City High School in 1960.
The very best thing that John would say he ever did in his life was convincing Josephine “Jo” Reyes to marry him. John and Jo met while he was stationed in Guam in the mid-sixties during the Vietnam Conflict. He was a proud member of the United States Navy and was living off-base with a friend and fellow service member’s family. He and Tony Quinata would visit Jo’s family’s store since Tony was dating Jo’s sister Cecilia Reyes. Dad says that he knew the moment he first saw his wife that “That was the girl for me.” He’d always laugh and say, “It took some convincing to get her to think of me the same!” Jo always agreed. She would say, “Yes, I thought he was too good-looking and would probably be too stuck on himself.” This fortunately did not turn out to be true and a romance began.
On September 17, 1966 John and Jo were wed in a beautiful ceremony at the church in Jo’s village of Merizo, Guam. They went on to have three children: Therese, John Joseph, and Joleen. The family moved back to Plattsmouth, Nebraska for a short time, and then to Mt. Hope, Kansas, and finally Olathe, KS where John and Jo would spend most of their lives together until he passed.
John was a hard worker, and he did many jobs. He went to Barber School and cut hair for a while before joining the Navy. While in service he was stationed in Guam and spent most of his tour serving as the chaplain’s clerk. After his honorable discharge, he was a firefighter in Guam. When they moved to the states he went to work for OSHA and eventually became the Director of Health and Safety working in Leavenworth, KS. In his later years, he was the Safety Supervisor for Delco in Olathe, KS.
John enjoyed running and staying fit. He loved to fish, spending hours at the lake, and maybe a little too much money on fishing gear in his retirement years. An avid sports fan, John really liked to cheer on his favorite teams, the Chiefs, Royals, KU basketball, and of course the Cornhuskers. His family has lots of fond memories of spending time with him in these activities. The grandchildren especially loved to fish with their Grandpa, and he was always willing to help them hook their bait.
Diagnosed in his 30’s with Multiple Sclerosis, John turned to prayer, family, and exercise as a way to overcome it. Already a wonderful dad, he became even more devoted to his wife and children. He picked up running (and later walking) which he did pretty much every day for nearly the rest of his life, even when he had to do it in the swimming pool at the YMCA due to stability problems. John also became much more closely connected to God and his faith. He was a member of St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Olathe, where he enjoyed attending daily mass. He loved reading his Bible, and his greatest act of service was to pray earnestly for others. If John prayed for you, you definitely received blessings! John made several strong friendships through his Men's Bible Study group. This group stayed connected via Zoom during the pandemic, and that meant so much to John. He really cherished that the group continued to include him each week via speakerphone after John was admitted to a care facility and could no longer attend.
The last years of John’s life were not easy ones. He suffered many physical hardships mostly due to complications with his MS. After a traumatic brain injury from falling, John’s final year and a half were spent at the Healthcare Resort of Olathe. His family was devoted to visiting him, and John never spent a morning or evening without his wife, children, or grandchildren hanging out with him. Ever cheerful and kind, John made strong friendships here with the other residents and several staff members, and they meant a lot to him.
John was beloved by everyone who knew him. His smile was so genuine and he made friends everywhere he went. As a dad, he was always encouraging and had an unfailing belief in his children and grandchildren. As far as he was concerned they could do and be anything they wanted, and his love was completely unconditional. We will always remember his words of wisdom like, “If you try your best, that’s all I care about. Then you will be proud of yourself. But I will always be proud of you no matter what.” “Nothing is more important than family.” “Living a life that is in service to others, and follows what God wants for you, will bring you more blessings than you can imagine. Look what it’s done for me.”
John was enormously blessed by the things he most valued, family, faith, and love. In his last days, he was surrounded by his family. As the family gathered, there were tears and laughter and prayers, and there was nothing he would have wanted more than that.
John leaves behind his beloved wife Josephine “Jo” (Reyes) Brink; his children Therese (Brink) and husband Mark Edgecomb, John Joseph Brink, and Joleen (Brink) and her husband Larry Fennell; eight grandchildren; Katrina Brink, Jordan Brink, Jeremy Fennell, Mariah Brink, Cierra Fennell, Camaron Edgecomb, Lincoln Edgecomb, Mary Brink, 3 great-grandchildren; Tomi Williams, Mona Clay-Brink, Memphis Clay-Brink, his brother David and his wife Sharon Brink, his sister Mary and her husband Steve Schmidt, his brother Jerome Brink, numerous nieces and nephews, cousins, and friends. He was preceded in death by his sister Elizabeth “Betty-Jo” Brink, and his parents John P. Brink Sr. and Idalene (Winebrenner) Brink.
Services will be held on December 14, 2022, at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Olathe, KS 21650 W 115th Ter, Olathe, KS. Visitation at 10:00 am, Rosary at 10:45, Mass at 11:00 am, Military interment at Leavenworth National Cemetery at 1:30 pm. The reception will follow at St. Paul’s around 2:30 pm.
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