John R. Spink, Sr.

Valley Falls, NY – John R. Spink, Sr., 85, died on Monday, June 14, 2010 at the Danforth Adult Care Center, Hoosick Falls, NY after a long illness.

Born on July 15, 1924 in White Plains, NY, Jack was the son of the late William J. and Alice L. Spink.  He was predeceased by his siblings: William A. Spink; Henry Lincoln Spink, Helen (Malcolm) Hamilton, Charlotte (William) Hustler, Anna Mae (Ernest) Henion; Alice (Wilbur) Walker. 

Survivors include his beloved wife of 64 years, Genevieve E. (Hall) Spink.  He lovingly referred to her as “His Bride”.  He was devoted father to: Judy (Martin) Wendell of Valley Falls, NY; John R. Spink, Jr. (Diane) of Rye NH; Jana (James) King of Cambridge, NY; and Jaye Spink (Maryann) of Schaghticoke, NY; loving grandfather to Shannon (James) Mattice of Canton, NY; Kara (John) Scieszka of Clifton Park, NY; Sean (Hillary) Wendell of Schenectady, NY; Meghan (Matthew) Reynolds of Johnsonville, NY; John Wendell of Clifton Park, NY; Traci Wolfe of Dover, NH; Dylan Spink and Shane Spink of Rye, NH; Holly King of Potsdam, NY; Robyn King of Brooklyn, NY; five great-grandchildren: Jacob Mattice and Carly Mattice of Canton, NY; Emily Scieszka and Jack Scieszka of Clifton Park, NY; Warren Reynolds of Johnsonville, NY; Brittany Richards; Jenica Richards and Mikaela Richards of Dover, NH; along with several nieces and nephews.

Jack graduated from the Cambridge High School in 1943.

Jack had a great love for nature and animals and this led him to own and operate Happy Valley Farm for over 40 years.  He raised Holsteins, Polled Herefords and Scottish Highlanders along with many horses.

He worked with the Borden Creamery; the Boston and Maine Railroad and worked on the construction of the local bridges in Mechanicville and Cohoes.  He was also a bus driver for the Hoosic Valley Central School for many years.  He was the first driver to install a radio on his bus and as a result had few discipline problems.  Jack worked for over 24 years at the General Electric Silicone division in Waterford, NY as a machinist.  He was a New York State certified explosives expert for over 30 years.  He owned and operated the Equipment Repair Service with his son, Jaye.  Jack often said “If it ran once, it will run again.” Their motto was “I can weld anything but a broken promise or a broken heart.”  and the business card read “I trust in the Lord, all others pay cash”. 

Jack’s was a member and officer of the Early Engine Club.  He enjoyed displaying his steam boiler and steam engine, which he restored at the Schaghticoke Fair.  He was also a member of the Adirondack Fiddlers Group and loved to listen to bluegrass music and the square dancing.

He and Jenny participated in the Country Magazine’s Six Horse Hitch which travelled from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.  They became friends with one of the drivers and attended their wedding in Ohio.

Special thanks to Dr. Matthew Pender and the staff of The Danforth for their exceptional care and support over the past years.

We invite you to join the family in celebrating Jack’s life at a memorial service to be held on Saturday, June 26 at Christ United Methodist Church of Johnsonville, 22 Bridge Street, Johnsonville, NY.  Calling hours will be from 3 – 4:30 pm, memorial service and reception will follow.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Jack’s memory to:  The Early Engine Club, c/o Gail Farrell, 751 County Route 10, Corinth, NY 12822 or Samaritan Hospital Cancer Treatment Center, 2215 Burdett Ave., Troy, NY 12180.