Jay (Joseph) Zink

Jay (Joseph) N. Zink, 88, of French River died November 9th, 2020 at his home. Friends & Family in heaven, and there are a lot of them, must have decided they waited long enough for his welcome party to begin! He was surrounded by family and friends to his very last breathe. He graduated from Clover Valley. He enjoyed making people laugh, keeping busy and playing with his equipment! A stick didn’t have a chance in his yard!

19 yrs. as a law enforcement officer, 22 yrs. Air Force civilian, Owner/Operator Heavy equipment & gravel pit, Fire Warden, Ore Boat Sailor Great Lakes, US Army stateside Korean War), Schlitz Brewery linesman, West Virginia Coal Mines. He and his family steadily traveled starting up Roller Skating Rinks in the US. Skating by age 2 and in 1938 circa he and Floyd were billed as the Youngest Champion Exhibition Skaters. His father, Joseph N. Zink Sr. is in the Hall of Fame as World Champion Speed Skater. As a young child he handed out tickets, skates, played music, watching for speeders, practiced and mastered exception skating skills and crazy skating tricks.  He loved teaching and helping people skate.  Yes, at 88 still skating in 2020!

He was preceded in death by his Parents, Brother Floyd, Wife Marilyn, Snowball (dog)

He is survived by his 3 children, Angel Putnam, Jay T. Zink and Kay Whelan, 7 grandchildren, 19 great grandchildren and Stanley (dog).  His wife that he loved, honored and cherished for 50 yrs died 14 yrs ago, but Jay didn’t, he continued to live, love and enjoy life – thank you Judith Wihriala for the past 12 yrs added to his life.

(Masks required) Visitation at 1pm , Funeral at 2pm: Saturday, November 14, 2020 at Dougherty Funeral Home.  Thanks to Covid19 and 2020, for those who cannot attend personally, from your computer go to WWW.dfhduluth.com , there will be a ‘link’ to view the funeral in real time. Join the link 5 minutes early. Please Text/voicemail 612-251-1924 to add your name to attendance keepsake book.

Arrangements by Dougherty Funeral Home, 600 East 2nd Street, Duluth MN 55805, 218-72