By:Nicole Falco
In light of such overwhelming support and at the request of Rzewuski, a dedication ceremony will be held Aug. 28 at the corner of Felton and North Central avenues. A new street sign will be unveiled at that corner Ñ Richard P. Spink Way. SpinkÕs business, Spink Roofing and Sheet Metal, is located at that corner. Rzewuski has been running the business since SpinkÕs death May 11.
Rzewuski also created a memorial garden Ñ RichardÕs Garden of Love and Hope Ñ at the corner. And RzewuskiÕs dedication to his partnerÕs memory doesnÕt end there. In the three months since Spink, 61, lost his battle with lung cancer, more than $108,000 has been donated in his memory by friends, business associates and acquaintances.
The donations have already been put to good use. Some of the money paid for life-saving surgery to remove a tumor from the spine of a 4-month-old Long Island girl. Her family could not have afforded the surgery otherwise, Rzewuski said. The rest of the money has been donated to various cancer centers for children. Rzewuski hopes to continue to raise money for children suffering from cancer, and their families, through the Richard Paul Spink and Stephen Rzewuski Foundation.
ÒI knew I was with a great man,Ó Rzewuski said. ÒThere was no question about that. The support for him has inspired me to keep his memory alive, and it just goes to show the goodness in people. [Their support] has given me the strength to carry on the business ... the strength to march forward and create this foundation for those that are suffering from cancer, and the strength to create awareness for what this man was about.Ó
Rzewuski walked door to door collecting signatures for his petition, and local businesses put posters in their windows to drum up support for his plan to have the street renamed. He could never have guessed how much support he would receive Ñ more than was needed, but all of it appreciated.
In talking with people and reading the letters they wrote, Rzewuski learned things about his partner that he had not known and reaffirmed what he already did know. ÒRichie was a wonderful man,Ó wrote one local couple, Remi and Laura Lucent. ÒHe always had a smile on and he always stopped to talk.Ó
A local businessman, Eddie LaMagna, wrote, ÒRich was a very hard-working and honest craftsman who took pride in what he did Ñ a rare trait in todayÕs world. He was a credit to the community in which he lived and will be missed by all who knew him.Ó
Others told Rzewuski how Spink fixed or replaced roofs for free for widows and others who could not afford them. And if a business was in financial trouble, Spink was known to make repairs and only charge for materials. He never sent a bill near the holidays.
As kind as he was to those he did business with, Spink also took care of his family. According to Rzewuski, Spink supported his mother, Josephine, and siblings after the death of his father, Edwin. Edwin suffered from Lou GehrigÕs disease, and died when Richard was 16. Spink worked three paper routes and also began learning the trade of a roofer at the time. He also served in the Marine Corps.
With RzewuskiÕs help, Spink took care of his mother until her death, as well as his two aunts and one of his siblings, who suffers from multiple sclerosis. Spink lived in the same house on Charles Street in which he grew up until only a few years ago, when he and Rzewuski moved to Far Rockaway.
Besides Rzewuski, Spink is survived by his sister, Edna. He was preceded in death by his parents and three siblings.
A memorial service will take place before the dedication next Saturday. It will be held at 11 a.m. at Blessed Sacrament Church, 201 North Central Ave. The street renaming will take place immediately afterward, followed by a reception at Blessed SacramentÕs McKeon Hall.
For further information about foundation, call (866) KIDS-500 (543-7500).
