Flora Funeral Service Obituary: Marlyn Flora Sink

Marlyn Flora Sink, 88, passed away peacefully in her home on Sunday, October 13, 2019.  A celebration of her life will begin at 11 a.m., Friday, Oct. 18 at Germantown Brick Church of the Brethren.  The Sink family will receive friends from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Flora Funeral Home, Rocky Mount.

     She was born April 21, 1931 and was preceded in death by her husband of 54 years, Denton (Pat), her parents Newton and Margie Flora, brothers Alvin, Lloyd and Benjamin Flora and sister Elene Sink and brother-in-law Curtis Sink, nephew Henry Sink.

     Left to cherish her memory are her brother Charles (Bobby) and wife Inez and sister-in-law Ruth Flora.  She is survived by her children Teresa and Joe Agnew; Terry and Linda Sink; Jane and Jeff Hudgins; Ben and Jill Sink and Joanna Sink. Grandchildren, Randall and Sara Guilliams; Carolanne and Melody Sink, Ashley Cunningham, Andrew and Emily Hudgins. Five great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild. And the nieces and nephews who grew up on the farm, Glen and Diane Sink, Don and Peggy Sink, Jean and Mike Chitwood, Susan Sink and husband Roger Williams.

     As a young woman, she worked at American Viscose, “the silk mill” in the big city of Roanoke but when she married Pat she, as she always joked, moved back to the country to become a partner in the family’s dairy farm business, which she helped to expand. Brothers Pat and Curtis and sisters Marlyn and Elene ran the successful dairy for over 60 years and Marlyn and Elene were more like mothers to nine children rather than the five and four of the two families.  While she worked on the farm, she devoted much of her energy to raising her family and her activities at Germantown Brick Church of the Brethren.

     A life-long lover of music, she played the piano and lent her beautiful singing voice to the Brick Church choir for more than six decades.  She also directed the Brick Junior Choir and was a deacon at the church.

     Friends and neighbors always looked forward to spring when Marlyn’s large asparagus patch would begin to produce because the community was the beneficiary as it was with all her many acts of generosity.

      Her quiet sense of fashion was always reflected in her neat, tasteful appearance, her carefully mown lawn and well-appointed home, where all were welcome, especially at Thanksgiving when her basement filled with family.

     A loving grandmother for her 6 grandchildren, she became a surrogate grandma to many children, particularly to Elene and Curtis’ grandchildren after Elene and Curtis had passed away.  All that received her gentle touch will carry those warm memories through life.

     In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be given to Germantown Brick Church of the Brethren, 2363 Brick Church Road, Rocky Mount, VA 24151.

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