Vink, Anelia “Nell”

Anelia “Nell” Vink died January 16, 2020 in Pittsford, NY. 

She was born at home on March 11, 1920 in Wallingford, NJ to Bronislaw and Katarina Skula. 

She attended East Rutherford High School where she was swiftly courted by the star quarterback of the football team John Vink. The courtship lead to a 69-year marriage before John preceded her in death on April 1, 2012.

Nell married John on December 12, 1942 before he deployed to World War II for 3 years. During his absence, Nell supported the troops and the Allied forces in a Rosie the Riveter role at the Bendix Manufacturing Company making airplane machinery parts while John worked as an airplane mechanic in the Army Air Corps in Europe and North Africa. 

Upon his return, Nell and John built their own home by hand in Teaneck, New Jersey. They eventually settled in Oradell, NJ where they raised two beautiful daughters Catherine and Judith who were the light of their lives.

Nell served as navigator, co-pilot, and very best friend to John on his hundreds of business road trips across the U.S. Upon their retirement, they moved to Fairport, NY to be closer to family.

Nell was a gifted seamstress who made over 100 Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls for family and friends by hand.

Beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Nell was beautiful, kind, loving, warm, wise, creative, thoughtful, humble, patient, and infinitely selfless. She was the quintessential homemaker, cooking thousands of delicious homemade meals and creating a space full of love, light, safety, humor, and the most wonderful, happy memories for all those fortunate enough to be a part of her life.

She was known for giving the best hugs and notorious for the clandestine slipping of cash into the hands of her granddaughters at the end of every family visit while giddily whispering “love ya a whole bunch.”

She is survived by her two daughters Catherine of Northfield, VT and Judith of Nashua, NH, her four granddaughters Jennifer of Providence, RI, Elizabeth of Los Angeles, CA, Christy of Scituate, MA, and Heather of Westwood, MA and her three great-grandchildren Cooper, Vivian, and John.

A memorial service will be held in Vermont at a later date.