George Riley Finley, 85, of League City, Texas left to be with the Lord on February 26,  2018. George was a Christian, devoted family man, mason, and U. S. Air Force retiree.  He was a graduate of Silsbee High School, and Charleston Southern University.

He was preceded in death by his parents, George Ernest Finley and Bennie Lou Freeman Finley,  brother Edward, and sisters, Ernestine Marshall and Edith Ham. His survivors include his loving wife of 61 years, Carolyn Wiley Finley, sons Larry Dwayne ( Linda), George Howard( Debbi), Michael Kevin (Becky);  daughter Becky Joy Tatom (Darrel), and sister, Pat Kyles (Glen).  Grandchildren: Angela, Ronny, George C., Crystal, Katie, Kristy, Misty, Riley and Dylan, and numerous great grandchildren.

Visitation will be on Sunday, March 4th, 2018 from 4 pm  to 7 pm at the Crowder Funeral Home in League on Main Street.

Funeral service will be on Monday, March 5, 2018 at 9 am at James Crowder Funeral Home Chapel, followed by a full honor military burial service at the Houston National Cemetery on Veteran’s Drive in Houston, Texas

George Riley Finley Loved…

The Lord Jesus & God The Father

His family and especially his wife of 61 years Carolyn Wiley Finley

His 4 sons counting his son in law, his daughter, & 3 daughters in law, grandchildren, Great grandchildren, his brother, and his 3 sisters, brothers in law, sisters in law, nieces, nephews, and cousins

Watching his children and grand children’s sporting events, programs, and award ceremonies.

Family outings, get-togethers & cookouts

Friendly people, and being a good friend

Helping others anytime they needed help; he would always do everything that he could to help someone who asked for help, and offer to help when they didn’t ask.. He would truly give the shirt off his back to someone else who needed it.

Laughing, telling jokes, and laughing at his own jokes

(Silsbee High School Class of ’52 Yearbook said about him: “a guy who can be depended upon for a good laugh when one is needed… and usually one when not needed…”

He enjoyed being from Texas & the Dallas Cowboys

Whataburger & the Waffle House

Boating, bodies of water, fishing & especially salt water fishing.

Music and a special appreciation for classic country music:

He loved to sing, had a good singing voice, and especially loved singing Hymns and gospel songs

His favorite performing artists were George Jones, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, George Strait, Jim Reeves, Cristy Lane, & Vince Gill.

He said on more than one occasion that the most beautiful piece of music ever written was “Last Date” by Floyd Cramer

His favorite Hymn was “The Old Rugged Cross”

He loved being outdoors, quiet mornings in the country.

George was a very good cook & enjoyed cooking a good tasty meal for himself & others. He very much enjoyed eating a good meal, and a big juicy Texas sized steak was tops on the list

Also high on the list was George always loved having a good country breakfast of eggs, bacon, grits, and biscuits for any meal of the day, at any time of the day.

One of George’s signature dishes he called “Pocahontas stew” to encourage his grand kids and great grand kids to eat it. (This was the same “everything in it” stew that he formerly called “Finley Surprise” when his children were growing up, which contained all of the leftovers that he could find in the refrigerator, along with “other secret ingredients”.)

He loved  working with his hands, and always had multiple projects of various sizes going on simultaneously. Pouring a slab and constructing a building, home restoration and remodeling, building cabinets & custom shelving, maintenance and repair of automobiles and boats, creating elaborate props for Carolyn’s classroom themes, & his grand children’s school projects

George Loved life and being alive, but he was also comforted by his belief that once he breathed his last breath of this life, that he would begin an new phase of life for eternity with Jesus, and surrounded by those who he loves, and love him that have gone on before him.

For those of us who are left behind broken hearted and grieving our loss of him, he would do everything in his power to lessen our heartache and pain if he could, but he is comforted to know that now, in his new definition of time…. he will see each of us again in the blink of an eye….

A funny story that George told many times of being a boy growing up in Silsbee, Texas.

One afternoon George was running up a hill on a dirt road with his dog along side of him. It quickly became a race up the hill as the faster he ran, the faster his dog ran along side… He and his dog were running so closely that they frequently bumped into each other as they were racing. (He said that he even though that during this uphill race, that his dog was attempting to trip him at times)

Then, just as they reached the top of the hill, and began decent down the other side…, there was the skunk… just standing there in the middle of the road… There was no time to react & George tripped over the skunk who was surprised to see them, and obviously not very happy about it.

George, his dog, and the skunk tumbled down the hill. When George and his dog got home, they only made it as far as the front porch. Ever after multiple outside baths, George and his dog were not allowed in the house for 3 days, and his mom made he and his dog sleep out on the porch for the next 3 nights…

 

Celebrating the life of George Riley Finley

George R. Finley was born July 20, 1932 in Hebert Louisiana. He grew up in Silsbee Texas, and upon graduation from Silsbee High School with the Class of 1952, he joined the US Air Force. George quickly adapted to military life, and enjoyed his early years as a young Airman. He was stationed at Warner Robins AFB in Warner Robins Georgia, where at a local church function, he met Carolyn Marie Wiley who at that time was a junior at Warner Robins High School.  George and Carolyn were married on July 6, 1956.

On June 8, 1957 while still in Warner Robins,  George & Carolyn had their first child Larry Dwayne Finley. Their second child was George Howard Finley born August 14, 1961 at Tripler Army Hospital in Honolulu Hawaii. Rebecca Joy Finley (Becky Finley Tatom) was born July 9, 1964 in Ft. Walton Beach Florida; also born in Ft. Walton Beach Florida, was the “surprise baby”  Michael Kevin Finley born February 16, 1966.

Shortly after the birth of the youngest child “Kevin”, the USAF gave George a choice of being stationed in Vietnam, or returning the Hawaii for a second tour of duty there. After much contemplation, George and his family returned to Hawaii, as he was again stationed at Hickam AFB in Hawaii (Oahu); this time for 3 years.  George was later stationed in Thailand during the Vietnam war and spent a year away from his family during this time.

After leaving Hawaii in 1969, the next tour of duty was in San Antonio Texas, followed by Charleston South Carolina, which was the final destination for George while serving in the Air Force.

George began his studies of business administration at the College of Charleston, and received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Charleston Southern University 0n August 18, 1978.

Upon retiring from the US Air Force, the Finley family moved back to George’s home state of Texas, and settled in Pasadena Texas. George became a commercial claims investigator, and worked closely with the  Port of Houston Longshoreman’s Assn.

After retiring from the work force, George focused mainly on property ownership and management  of several rental properties, including a small trailer park in Silsbee Texas, and a small apartment complex in Houston Texas. He enjoyed working with his hands, and always had multiple projects of various sizes going on simultaneously. Pouring a slab and constructing a building, home restoration and remodeling, building cabinets & custom shelving, maintenance and repair of automobiles and boats, creating elaborate props for Carolyn’s classroom themes, & his grand children’s school projects are a few examples of his work.

George and Carolyn had purchased 5 acres of wooded property with a small cottage near Lake Conroe in Willis Texas.  George loved this property and spent considerable time there over the years. This property was the hub of countless family gatherings, getaways, as well as functioning as a “man cave” for George, as he was often there alone, and was continuously working on projects to improve the property and make it better for family gatherings, cookouts, and parties.

George, Carolyn, & Larry Finley purchased a beachfront property on the Bolivar Peninsula in 1998. George always enjoyed fishing, and had a special appreciation and love for saltwater fishing. This beach home also became a place where family and friends could get together, relax and enjoy a magnificent view of the Gulf of Mexico. This property remained in the family, and was thoroughly enjoyed up until September of 2008, when Hurricane Ike completely leveled the home, and washed all evidence of it ever being there into the Galveston Bay.

George loved spending time with his very talented grandchildren, of whom he was extremely proud and loved greatly. From Katie’s pageants,  gymnastics, varsity  football games in which she cheered, to countless soccer games & other sports events of his very athletic twin grandchildren, Kristy and Misty.  He enjoyed visiting with the grandchildren who did not live locally, as often as possible: Ronnie, Angela, George, Crystal, Riley and Dylan.

George suffered a stroke in 2005. Although the stroke slowed him down a bit, he  fortunately, was still able to get around, go places, and still enjoy doing things that brought him pleasure and joy.

In July 2006, George and Carolyn celebrated their 50th anniversary  with a Hawaiian themed event hosted by their children, which was enjoyed by a large gathering of family and friends.

With a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease,  George and Carolyn decides to embark on a sight- seeing road trip for a duration of 2 weeks. During this trip, they visited many national monuments, parks, and forests which included Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Grand Canyon, White Sands, and Carlsbad Caverns.

A second two week land excursion took  them across Canada ,to Niagara Falls, and  all of the New England states . Not long thereafter, his  daughter, Becky , asked him, “Dad,  what  is it that you would still like to do?” His response was, “I would like to go back to Hawaii.” So, a few month later, George & Carolyn, Larry & Linda Finley, Becky & Darrell Tatom, & Kevin & Becky Finley flew to Hawaii. While there, they revisited the homes where they previously lived, their wonderful church, First Baptist of Pearl Harbor, and many  sites they had enjoyed during their seven years living there.   Then they all embarked on a 7 day cruise which stopped at each of the Hawaiian islands. It was a wonderful experience for all.

George Riley Finley is remembered most for his witty & charming personality, his smile, his laugh, and his lifetime of enjoyment of his family and friends. He is deeply loved, and greatly missed by those that he left behind…