Daniel Patrick Fink

Daniel Patrick Fink, 88, of Matthews, died Saturday, January 6, 2024, at Matthews Health and Rehabilitation Center. Dan was born on November 21, 1935, in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Edward and Florence Gardner Fink. He grew up in Cleveland and graduated from West High School. On June 23, 1955, he was inducted into the United States Army. He attained the rank of Sp3(T) before his honorable discharge on June 5, 1957. In the Army, he earned the following badges: Parachutist, Sharpshooter (M-1) and the Good Conduct Medal. Upon his discharge, Dan returned to Cleveland and went to work for Sears Roebuck and Co. Blessed with a talent to use his hands and work on mechanical things, he went to work in their automotive department. In 1989, Dan moved to Matthews and transferred to the Sears at Eastland Mall, where he met his co-worker, Ms. Rachel McSwain. They dated for a year and were married on March 17, 1991 at Mt. Harmony Baptist Church in Matthews. After 35 years of service as Sears’ Auto Repair Department Manager, Dan retired in 1993, along with Rachel. Using their newfound time, they would travel to Florida annually. When at home, they enjoyed tending to the yard and caring for the house. Dan enjoyed painting, and would go on to paint HUD development properties for seniors as well. If you knew Dan, you knew he always had a comb in his pocket. Not only was he proud of his full head of hair, he had to be sure that every strand was in place at all times. Dan was a well known fixture in his neighborhood, as he would run several miles nearly every day. Visiting Dan at home always resulted in leaving with your pockets stuffed with sweet treats, especially Moonpies, Little Debbie’s, and more. Most of all, he loved the time spent with his family and friends, so long as you didn’t try to take the leg off the turkey at Thanksgiving. Dan is survived by his wife of 32 years, Rachel, of Matthews; his daughter, Danelle Fink; his son, Danny (wife Brenda) Fink; Grandchildren: Jenna Carpenter, Lauren Fink and Scott Fink; one great granddaughter, Harper Fink. Dan is further survived by numerous other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, 3 brothers and 1 sister. Proud of his service to his country, Dan’s wish was to have his cremated remains inurned at Arlington National Cemetery.

Daniel Patrick Fink

November 21, 1935 - January 6, 2024