Charles Fina, one of the driving forces that helped grow Michael C. Fina Co. into a New York icon, died recently after a long battle with acute myelogenous leukemia. He was 64.
Born in 1945, Fina, better known as "Charlie" to those who knew him, was the younger son of Michael and Rose Fina, who founded Michael C. Fina Co. in 1935.
Fina, along with his brother George, had been involved in the family business from a young age and helped it develop from a small jewelry store into a name known worldwide for offering jewelry, silver, china, and gifts for weddings and other occasions.
Following the unexpected death of their father, the Fina brothers took on the management of the business alongside their mother.
The brothers shared a deep personal and professional bond, working side-by-side for nearly 45 years in a shared office, their desks facing each other.
In the 1990s, Charlie Fina drove the creation of the Michael C. Fina Corporate Recognition division that, today, provides recognition gift programs for companies worldwide and has sales offices in the United States, Europe, and Canada.
Outside of work, Fina enjoyed spending time with his large but close-knit family, as well as fishing and boating.
He also was a committed philanthropist. He and his family were major supporters of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and Michael C. Fina Co. is a national supporting sponsor.
His son Steven Fina, vice president of Michael C. Fina, said in a statement issued following his father's death that to his father, the family business was much more than just a business.
"Throughout my father's life, he thought often and fondly about our family business, built on years of trust and service, and the wonderful relationships he had formed with his peers in the industry," said Steven Fina. "For my father, it was more than his name that linked him to Michael C. Fina; it was his passion for helping individuals celebrate life's many milestones, big or small. In doing so, his memory will live on forever."
Fina is survived by his wife, Jane; son Michael and daughter-in-law Danielle; son Jeffrey and daughter-in-law Brooke; son Steven and daughter-in-law Elizabeth; grandchildren Samantha, Jason, George, Jack, and Brandon; brother George and wife, Lynne; niece Ashley; and nephews Bret and Cord and their families.
Anyone wishing to honor Fina's memory can make a donation to the New York Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, 475 Park Ave. South, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10016.
Source: National Jeweler