Almost 25 years ago, Terry Zink was on his way from Colorado Springs to Arizona for a quick vacation when he stopped off at Navajo State Park to fish and, in a way, he’s never left.
Zink never made it to Arizona. Instead, he fell in love with high-desert terrain that surrounds the reservoir that straddles southern Colorado and northwestern New Mexico, finding work as a park volunteer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife in 2002.
Fifteen years later, Zink, now 72, was recently recognized in June for amassing 20,000 hours of volunteer service. By the time this story publishes, Zink estimates he will have eclipsed 21,000 hours.
For perspective, that amounts to 875 days. Converted into an eight-hour workday, that’s 2,625 days, equaling about 175 workdays a year over the last 15 years.
To recognize Zink for his dedication, the state park service gave him both a Colorado and U.S. flag that had flown over the state Capitol on April 4, the day his volunteer service reached 20,000 hours.
“We’re honoring him for 20,000 hours, but I’m sure he’s done more than that,” said Brian Sandy, manager at Navajo State Park, in a prepared statement. “His service is equivalent to someone who’s worked nine years in a paid position. He’s proud of the park, and he takes a lot of pride in everything here and in everything he does.”
Zink grew up in South Dakota and joined the military in 1963 when he was 17 years old. He spent some time in Germany but was also stationed at Fort Carson near Colorado Springs. When he got out, he decided to stay.
Over the years, Zink worked as an auto mechanic and as a heavy equipment operator at a few mines around the state. In the 1980s, he and his wife, Carol, took over the family-owned restaurant in Manitou Springs after Carol’s parents died.
Zink originally was taking that trip to Arizona to see if he and Carol should relocate there, desiring a milder winter than Colorado. But it turns out Colorado wasn’t ready to let him go.
Two months after his first visit to Navajo Lake, he moved there permanently.
Zink said he works about eight- to 10-hour days, doing “a little bit of everything,” which can include mowing and watering the grounds, doing various repairs and collecting fees.
He is asked to volunteer only 80 hours a month, but Zink said he almost always exceeds that, clocking in nearly 140 to 150 hours.
“I’m an individual that can’t sit,” he said. “That’s part of my problem.”
In return for his service, Zink and his wife can live and camp in an RV at the Colorado-side entrance of the park for free, and are provided propane, water or electricity for free.
In his free time, Zink used to fish often on the lake, but not so much after he sold his boat. Instead, on the few days off he does allot himself, he and Carol, who is a paid seasonal employee at the park, enjoy going to Sky Ute Casino or to Farmington for dinner.
“But I very seldom get a complete day off,” Zink said. “There’s always something to do.”
Zink has two daughters who live and work near Ignacio, and another daughter who lives in Colorado Springs.
“He made my job so much easier,” said Doug Secrist, who retired as park manager in 2015, in a prepared statement. “It was really a comfort for me to know he was there and that he had the skills to do so many things. He’s an incredible asset to the park, an incredible asset to the public and he always provided tremendous service to park customers.”
When asked why Zink chose Navajo State Park, he replied, simply, “the people.” He said he has met people from all over the world while volunteering. And, a lot of people return year after year.
“I always enjoyed being around people,” he said. “I like to make people happy, and then they come back time after time. And there’s a lot of good people in this whole area.”
So, how much longer does Zink intend to volunteer and live at Navajo Lake?
“Till they make me mad,” he joked. “No, I’m kidding. They treat me pretty good here – most of the time. Make sure to put that in there.”
jromeo@durangoherald.com
