The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (FSDB) is mourning the loss of one of its most cherished longtime students, Sophia Joyce Fink, a 15-year-old ninth-grader in the Blind Department.
She passed away on January 22, administrators said.
An aspiring doctor, Fink joined the FSDB community while still a kindergarten tot, and was remembered for her joyful presence, warmth, and generosity.
Teachers, classmates, and staff remembered Fink for her ringing laughter and unyielding sense of kindness.
“I had Sophia in the dorms for half of seventh grade and all of eighth grade,” teacher Jenny Hubbard wrote in a memorial post. “She was truly the kindest, sweetest girl! Always wanting to help others and making everyone smile and laugh. Her tackle bear hugs were always warm and real—she would always put her all into them.”
Another teacher, Ms. Elise, recalled her former student as a roving ray of light.
“She had a natural kindness for others and loved sharing her hopes and dreams of becoming a doctor,” she wrote. “She brought so much joy into the dorm, from her Buc-ee’s jammies to her funny dances that could instantly lift the mood.”
According to her obituary, Sophia enjoyed spending time with friends and family, solving puzzles, baking, and learning about tornadoes and emergency preparedness.
She had an abiding interest in healthcare, and beamed with pride after earning her Red Cross First Aid Certification.
Funeral services for Fink will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, January 30, at Ruth’s Chapel Turning Point at Calvary Church, 3500 State Road 16 in St. Augustine.
Visitation will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Messages of sympathy may also be shared on Sophia’s memorial page at St. Johns Family Funeral Home.
“Fly high, beautiful girl,” Hubbard wrote. “You are missed and loved more than you ever knew.”
