Charles Anderson Fink

Charles A. Fink, 84, a prominent businessman and longtime resident of Farmington and Las Cruces, New Mexico, died on Monday, May 6, in Melbourne, Florida.
His children announced his death from a rare form of liver cancer.
Mr. Fink was the founder and president of Bar-F Enterprises, a petroleum marketing company and distributor of Diamond Shamrock products.
He always said that he "came into the oil business naturally," as his father was a lifelong employee of the Humble Oil Company, which in later years consolidated with Standard Oil Company of New Jersey to form Exxon. Mr. Fink began his business career with Standard Oil and after several years working in West Virginia and Virginia, accepted a position with El Paso Natural Gas Company and moved to Farmington in 1962. He left El Paso NGC in 1965 to start his own business. Bar-F Enterprises began with the purchase of six gas stations from Wylie Oil Company: five in northwest New Mexico and one in Colorado. From the beginning the stations were branded as Bar-F Diamond Shamrock.
Eventually Bar-F stations spread throughout the state, along with a fleet of delivery trucks to service them, a headquarters office in Farmington plus a satellite office in Las Cruces.
Known as an energetic, creative businessman, Mr. Fink was elected to several executive positions, including president, of what was then known as the Oil Jobbers Association of New Mexico, and the TriState Petroleum Marketers Association (which included New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming.) In the 1980's, he was a member of the industry delegation sent to Washington, DC to testify before Congress on the effects deregulation would have on the oil and gas industry. A firm believer in free trade and free markets, he enjoyed talking to any politician, regardless of party, concerning the future of the industry and action required for future success. "I don't care what party they (politicians) belong to," he said. "If they'll talk and listen to me, I'm happy to talk and listen to them."
Various news outlets and publications frequently called Mr. Fink for his opinion on industry trends, oil production in New Mexico and pricing on the world market.
In addition to his work Mr. Fink was a dedicated member of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Farmington where he served in a number of different positions, including deacon and Sunday School Superintendent. During his tenure as chairman of the Finance Committee all the money was raised that was needed to build the present day church sanctuary. Moreover, while a member of the church, Mr. Fink was nominated and elected to be the New Mexico representative and trustee to the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board. He served in that capacity for eight years and traveled extensively in his areas of care, South America and India, checking on the people and mission work taking place.
While Mr. Fink's vocation was always in the petroleum industry, architecture was one of his avocations. As a young man he had briefly considered studying to be an architect, and though business management was his area of study, he maintained a keen interest and appreciation for architectural design. In 1986, Mr. Fink moved the company's main office to Las Cruces, New Mexico and drew attention when he bought the old, dilapidated Price's Creamery. Always up for a challenge, he tasked his architect to come up with a plan that incorporated passive solar design with a traditional New Mexican design. The end result: a rundown eyesore was transformed into a stunning, light filled space that was photographed for publications. The passive solar building with given a Territorial style exterior and Mr. Fink gave his wife, Patricia Price Fink, credit for the richly appointed interior, outfitted with wood molding, wainscoting and fine antiques.
When a local reporter asked Mr. Fink why someone with such deep involvement in the oil and gas business would want a passive solar building, he responded, "It doesn't seem unusual to me that I would be involved in solar efficiency, even if I'm in the petroleum industry." He was an early proponent of alternative energy sources and thought that solar power was a practical choice for building design, especially in the sunny, warm climate of the southwest. He readily maintained that the key to his successful business career was the willingness to change with the times and stay current with the trends: whether that meant adding mini marts to gas stations or combining alternative energy sources with traditional.
In 1995 Mr. Fink sold Bar-F Enterprises and four years later moved to Melbourne, Florida. An avid golfer, he had intended to live out his years playing golf, spending time with his grandkids, and traveling with his wife. However, in 1999 Patricia Fink was diagnosed with cancer and died in January 2000. They were married 47 years.
Charles Anderson Fink, was born in Ronceverte, West Virginia in January 1929.
His father, E. L. Fink, began his career with Humble Oil Company in 1930 and retired as the Charleston, West Virginia district manager. His mother, Cleora, was a homemaker.
Mr. Fink served as a Second Lt. in the United States Army during the Korean Conflict, and earned his degree from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.
Mr. Fink's first child, Charles Anderson Fink, Jr. (Andy) died in Farmington, New Mexico in 1973. His brother, B. J. Fink (Bill) died in 1991.
Survivors include a daughter, Patricia Fink Campbell of Arlington, Virginia, John W. Fink of Merritt Island, Florida, six grandchildren, and two sisters Sarah Haskins and Nancy Witschey.
Funeral services will be held at Emmanuel Baptist Church, 211 W. 20th St., Farmington, NM 87401 on Friday, May 31, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. with Pastor John Preston officiating. Interment will follow at Memory Gardens Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the home of Jan and Alan Britt after the interment service.
Charles' services are entrusted to Brewer, Lee and Larkin Funeral Home, 103 East Ute St., (505) 325-8688.