April 20, 1945 – Jan. 30, 2026
Jerry Fink, 80, of Eufaula, passed away on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in Eufaula. He was born on April 20, 1945, in Vian to Eugene Marlin Fink and Arbie Jewel (Turney) Fink.
No formal service is planned at this time. Cremation is under the direction of Agent Mallory-Martin Funeral Home.
He was a reporter. For more than 50 years, he wrote from the front lines of war zones to the bright lights of Las Vegas, from the smoking buildings of Oklahoma City to the quiet main streets of McIntosh County. Through it all, Jerry held fast to one unwavering truth: every person has something worth saying, and it’s a journalist’s job to listen.
As editor of the Eufaula Indian Journal and Mc-Intosh County Democrat, he didn’t just put out weekly newspapers, he built trust.
Jerry’s life in journalism began in 1974 at the Sequoyah County Times, where he worked under General Manager Jim Mayo. It was there that he learned a lesson he took with him to the end: the front-page matters. Mayo taught him the value of a newsy front page, one that told readers, clearly and honestly, what mattered most in their world. No gimmicks. No fluff. Just the news, done right.
From those early days, editing, reporting, taking photos, writing features, he found his rhythm in the newsroom and the responsibility that comes with telling other people’s stories. That foundation followed him to the Tulsa World, where he covered some of the most challenging stories of his career: prison riots, murder trials, natural disasters, and the Oklahoma City bombing. Even in the hardest moments, Jerry never lost sight of the people behind the headlines. Those stories stayed with him.
In 2012, Jerry came home to Oklahoma. Returning, full circle, to a Mayo family newspaper, he sat down in the editor’s chair at the Indian Journal and Democrat, a little culture shocked, coming from the main strip to Main Street.
Survivors include two sons, Jason and Liberty Fink of Washington and Paul and Anna Fink of Boaz, Ala.; three daughters, Sarah and Larry O’Rourke of Massachusetts, Jerri Fink of Wyoming and Laura Padek of Colo.; six grandchildren; one sister, Barbara Risley of Vian; and other family members and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Larry Fink; and one grandson.
