David Brink

David J. Brink, age 84, of Vadnais Heights, passed away on September 2, 2026. Born December 7, 1941, in St. Paul, David lived his 84 years with an unmistakable exuberance and zest for life. At the heart of it all was an enduring curiosity about people.

That curiosity started early. David’s education didn’t happen in a classroom. After a brief stint at St. Cloud State, he made a conscious decision to get his education through life—by working, observing people and learning something from every situation he found himself in. He became a lifelong student of people. From every job he held to simply sitting at a bar or restaurant, David was always watching the people around him, learning what he admired as much as what he didn’t. He took those observations seriously and, over a lifetime, developed an extraordinary instinct for people and relationships.

Those relationships became his greatest legacy.

Nowhere was that more apparent than at Stylmark. David purchased the family business, founded by his father Ray in their garage in 1954, when he was just 34 years old. He devoted much of his life to Stylmark. Through hard work, integrity and an unwavering belief that you simply “go for it,” David grew Stylmark into a highly successful industry leader, known for innovation, high-end products and exceptional quality and service.

But for David, the measure of Stylmark’s success was never only the business itself. It was the people. In 1998, he established Stylmark as an employee-owned company through an ESOP, reflecting how deeply he valued the people at Stylmark.

Walking through the shop, David knew every one of his employees—and he knew about their children, their grandchildren and their lives. He was deeply respected and loved by the people who worked there. In his final weeks, employees from 20, 30 and even 40 years ago reached out to tell him the impact he had made on their lives and that knowing him had made a lasting difference. For David, business was always personal and he touched the lives of generations of employees, many of whom became lifelong friends.

For all that David accomplished in business, when asked what he was most proud of in his life, his answer was simple: his children, Judd and Nicole. He always encouraged them to forge their own paths and was immensely proud to watch that unfold. He treasured trips to Brainerd to visit his son, Judd and to London to visit his daughter, Nicole.

Bringing people together was one of David’s greatest joys. He was a fabulous cook, appreciated great wine and was famous for his elaborate dinner parties. Business dinners at his home became legendary enough that people would approach him at trade shows asking what they had to do to get invited to a David Brink dinner party. For David, entertaining wasn’t simply about the food or wine—it was another way of connecting people, building friendships and celebrating life.

Those relationships extended throughout his life. David remained close with a group of friends from Ramsey High School for more than 70 years, never missing a Tuesday cribbage game or the annual grouse-hunting trip to Grand Marais—where, naturally, David cooked for everyone. He loved to golf in his younger years and enjoyed traveling throughout his career and beyond, always embracing the people and experiences he encountered along the way.

In his attempt to retire, David built a beautiful home in Santa Barbara, where one of life’s simple pleasures was walking into his yard to pick fresh oranges, lemons and figs—or even lavender for a martini. He loved discovering a new restaurant, taking his Porsche out for a drive, spending time with his buddy Vinny and any opportunity to enjoy good food, good wine, good company, and a little adventure.

David had a vibrancy that was unmistakable—a true zest for life. You can see the twinkle in his eye in photographs taken throughout his life, his enthusiasm forever captured in them. David enjoyed his life, and he lived it fully. When he learned at 84 that he had cancer, his reaction was characteristically David: “Well, I’m 84, and I’ve lived one hell of a good life.”

And that he certainly did.

David is survived by his children, Judd and Nicole Brink, their mother and his former wife, Judy Brink; his sister Carolyn Lien (Noel); his nephew Dan Lien (Michelle) and their children, Everett and Eliza; Kathy Lien, wife of his late nephew Duff Lien; Kay Lemke, her daughter Kristi (Aaron) and their children, Paloma and Penelope, and her son Jeff; and his last love, Joyce Mullner, who made his days so much more beautiful.

David leaves behind a lifetime of accomplishments, but his greatest legacy is found in something much harder to measure: the countless lives he touched, the extraordinary number of people who are better for having known him and the relationships that have spanned decades.

Funeral Service Friday, September 11, 5:00 PM at Bradshaw Celebration of Life Center, 4600 Greenhaven Drive, White Bear, with visitation beginning at 4:00 PM. Reception to follow the service.

Memorials preferred to Groves Academy.