Bernard Thomas Finger

Bernard Thomas “Tommie” Finger passed peacefully home to His Father Our Savior on Thursday morning, April 11, 2013. He was born August 4, 1927 to John and Emma Rothe Finger in Hondo, TX, the youngest of 11 children.

Tom graduated from Hondo High School in 1946. He then attended Sul Ross State University in Alpine, TX and Southwest Texas Junior College in Uvalde prior to deciding to serve his country. Tom joined the Navy in 1953, served for four years then transferred to the Air Force in 1957, from which he retired as a Staff Sargent in 1973. During his Air Force service, Tom was particularly proud of the time he helped maintain Air Force One for President Lyndon Johnson at Bergstrom AFB. After completing his military service, Tom worked for the University of Texas at Austin for 14 years, after which he led a life of retirement.

Tom married the love of his life, Dorothy Ray Mansfield Finger, on June 11, 1961. They raised their four children Michael Douglas, Lisa Gaye, Roxanne, and Charles Thomas in Texas and Washington State. Tom was a kind, loving person who always put the comfort and well-being of others before his own. His passing leaves a deep void in the hearts of family and friends.

Tom was always passionate about baseball and football, and loved to tell stories about when he played baseball and football for the Hondo High Owls and with the Highway 90 baseball league. In fact, he continued to check the Owls’ sports news in the Hondo Anvil Herald up until his death. His other favorite teams were the Texas Longhorns, Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers, and Houston Astros. For many years, Tom loved to hunt the Finger family land and he found fishing at his wife’s parents’ farm in Manor very peaceful. His other enjoyments were playing card games, Rooke and Solitaire, and Dominoes.

He was preceded in death by his parents, John Marcus and Emma Theresa Rothe Finger; his wife, Dorothy Ray Mansfield Finger; his sisters Evelyn Marie Boon, Frances Theresa Ferguson, and Rosemary Dyess; and brothers Herman August “Hoss” Finger, John Martin Finger, August Christian Rothe Finger, Arthur Jerome Finger, Charles Russell Finger, and Guenther Herff “H” Finger.

Tom is survived by his four children, Michael Douglas Finger, Lisa Gaye Finger Allen, Roxanne Finger Green and spouse, John, and Charles Thomas Finger and spouse, Linda; sister, Mary Emma Knapp; seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from five o’clock until seven o’clock in the evening, on Tuesday, the 16th of April 2013, at Cook-Walden Funeral Home, 6100 North Lamar Boulevard, Austin, Texas. A Rosary will be recited at seven o’clock that evening.

A funeral mass will be celebrated at half past one o’clock in the afternoon on Wednesday, the 17th of April 2013, at St. Louis Catholic Church, 7601 Burnet Road, Austin, Texas. Interment with Military Honors will follow in Austin Memorial Park under the direction of Cook-Walden Funeral Home.

Condolences may be sent to www.cookwaldenfuneralhome.com.