Francis Punk Minnick

Francis 'Punk' Minnick January 23, 1946 - July 15, 2015

Francis "Punk" Minnick, 69, of Faribault, Minn., passed away unexpectedly Wednesday at his home after having his morning coffee and reading the newspaper on his porch.

Punk was born on January 23, 1946, in St. Paul, Minn., but he grew up in Faribault. His parents ran the Minnick''s Store and he ran around with a group of friends that called themselves the River Rats. He graduated from Faribault High School in 1964 and married Becky Weed on June 10, 1967, in Northfield, Minn.

Two years later, he and Becky bought the home in which they raised their children and lived for the rest of his life. When their three children came, he was passionate about giving them a good education, from Catholic schools on up through college. Helping pay for their schooling was what led him to another of his passions: bingo. For more than 30 years, he ran bingo and other charitable gambling operations locally, first as a side job and, in retirement, as his pet project.

Punk was not shy. His opinions were well known, but he didn''t just talk. He served two terms on the Faribault City Council, as well as spending time on the boards of Consolidated Catholic Schools and River Bend Nature Center.

The beauty of nature appealed to Punk. He loved road-tripping with Becky to different state and national parks, camping and fishing. He was also proud of his Irish heritage and his trips to Ireland only reinforced his pride.

He is survived by his wife, Becky Minnick, of Faribault; children, Stacey Minnick of Shakopee, Minn., and Jon Minnick (fiance, Dani Paul) of Eagan, Minn.; brothers, Dan (Betty) Minnick of Faribault, and Dan (Millie) Roehrick of Indio, Calif.; sisters, Jacqueline Friedges of Lakeville, Minn., and LaVonne Boyd of Faribault; and many other relatives and friends.

He was forever changed by the death of his daughter, Jana Lynn Minnick, in 1997, and

lived more purposefully afterward. He was also preceded in death by his parents, Francis and Helen (Thibodeau) Minnick.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, July 18, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. at the Divine Mercy Catholic Church, 139 Mercy Drive, Faribault. Interment will be at the Calvary Cemetery in Faribault.

Visitation will be held at the Parker Kohl Funeral Home in Faribault on Friday from 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. and on Saturday for one hour prior to the services at the church.

Memorials may be directed to the River Bend Nature Center or Bethlehem Academy in memory of Punk.