My apologies for the shakey video quality in several locales throughout this video. The service and events were heartrending as you will see and it was difficult, at times, to control one's emotions. Sincerest condolences in accord with our continued thoughts and prayers for the family until the Sunshine returns into their lives. R.I.P. Patrick Edward Frink 1945 - 2012 Most Sincerely, Jim & Kathy Simmons jimabides@hotmail.com Late Colorado Buffalo Basketball Player Pat Frink remembered as great scorer, & caring father. By Ryan Thorburn The heartbreak was palpable over the phone from its painful origins in Brazil to the other end of the line in Boulder. Legendary Colorado basketball player Pat Frink was killed in an automobile accident early Sunday. And a part of his big brother Mike died with him. "It's devastating," Mike, retired and living in South America where he coached professional basketball for years, told me while packing up to make the unexpected trip to bury Pat on his ranch near Tucson, Ariz. "These kind of tragedies always blind side you, especially when it's your only brother and your closest friend in life for 67 years." The report in the Arizona Daily Star about what happened read as follows: "Patrick Edward Frink, 67, was driving a gray 2007 Ford F-150 south on Hayhook Ranch Road, about one mile south of Arizona 86, when he lost control of the truck. "It rolled and he was thrown from the vehicle, said Deputy Dawn Barkman, a Pima County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman in a news release. "Investigators believe speed and alcohol may have been factors in the crash, the release said." This isn't how the last chapter of the Pat Frink story was supposed to end. "Right now it's more than you can imagine or understand," Mike said. "Two days later and I continue to deny it." Mike was born 16 months ahead of Pat, but growing up many people assumed they shared the same birthday. "That's probably the reason we became so different," Mike said. "We were tired of people saying to our mother that she had twins." The Fink brothers were raised by their mom, a single parent, in a one-bedroom apartment. The family couldn't afford a car or a television. Mike didn't want his peers to know where he lived because he was "a little embarrassed." Pat never thought twice about bringing friends home. "We were very poor," Mike said. "Pat didn't mind wearing brown belts with black shoes. I did." Mike grew up to be an "ordinary" college player who had a penchant for getting into brawls if an opposing player crossed the line with a teammate, especially his younger brother. Pat was a brilliant shooter who wasn't quite as tough on the defensive end as Sox Walseth might have liked. "We played one-on-one a million times. The way I would win was by fouling Pat until he couldn't get his arms up anymore," Mike said. "Basketball was our life." Walseth recruited Mike when he was a star at Wheat Ridge High School. The CU head coach promised that the scholarship offer wasn't just to get in good with the more physically gifted and skilled younger brother. During the 1963-64 season, Mike scored 12.1 points per game for the Buffs. Jim Davis, a 6-8 senior center, averaged 18.5 points that year and led the Big Eight in rebounding for the second time. In 1964-65, Chuck Gardner took over in the post while the Frinks handled most of the offensive production from the guard spots. Pat, a sophomore, led CU in scoring (15.0 ppg) with Mike chipping in 9.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. "He was a hell of a scorer," former long-time Daily Camera sports editor Dan Creedon, who covered Walseth's Buffs, recalled of Pat Frink. "He was a great offensive player." During a highly entertaining 93-89 non-conference victory over Utah on Dec. 5, 1966, Pat scored 36 points. He averaged a team-high 18.3 points during his junior season after missing the previous year with a serious knee injury. "Pat Frink, in my opinion and the opinion of many, was one of the greatest shooters we've had from this state," said Irv Brown, the distinguished college basketball referee and former baseball coach at CU. Creedon remembers taking a train to cover CU's 66-59 victory at Missouri on March 4, 1967. The dramatic road win put the Buffs in the thick of the Big Eight regular-season title chase before Frink and Co. fell short in a 66-59 loss at Kansas two nights later. The Buffs finished the 1966-67 season 17-8 overall, including 11-0 at Balch Fieldhouse and 10-4 in conference play. Despite a 64-57 victory over Nebraska in the finale, the Cornhuskers were chosen for the National Invitational Tournament at CU's expense. "Pat was a real gentle soul," said Bob Bauers, who was the second-leading scorer on that memorable squad. "He was a good guy and we always had a good time ... I'll tell you, it's tough to lose a teammate, especially like that." Pat averaged 18.9 points as a senior but CU finished with a disapp