“Compassionate, unrelenting, fierce,” Franklinton Farms co-founder taken too soon

The co-founder of Franklinton Farms, a nonprofit urban farm dedicated to growing and sharing food, creating beauty and building community, has passed away at age 40.

Patrick Kaufman died last week after a 10-month battle with stage IV Melanoma.

Kaufman’s inspiration to dedicate his life to serving others was during his time in the Air Force when he helped command a nuclear missile silo in North Dakota, reports The Dispatch.

His wife Karen told The Dispatch that he was always upset with himself for potentially helping launch a nuclear attack on millions of people.

In 2008, Kaufman and his wife moved to Franklinton and where he helped transform a small plot of community gardening land into what is now known as Franklinton Farms.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

The small plot has grown into a more than 2-acre garden that welcomes in residents to help cultivate fresh produce to encourage environmental sustainability and help support healthy futures for the neighborhood.

“His compassionate spirit, unrelenting and fierce dedication to civic agriculture, and his commitment to learning through the complex relationships of friends, family, and community made him one of the most positively impactful people we have been blessed to know,” wrote Franklinton Farms on Facebook. “He strove to make everything better, always, and he was just beginning to hone his ability to inspire others to unconventional, honest, and great achievement by offering mentorship to those who were dedicated to give.”

Patrick leaves behind Karen and his three young children.

Members of the community are encouraged to show their support for the Kaufman family by supporting the GoFundMe.