John Allison Finley, age 71 of Fairview, Texas passed away on Thursday, October 10, 2019 at the T. Boone Pickens Faith Presbyterian Hospice Center in Dallas, Texas after a courageous battle with cancer.
John was born May 3, 1948 in Marshalltown, Iowa, son of William Glenn and Selma Allison (Clark) Finley.
John was educated in the Marshalltown school district graduating with the 1966 Class of MHS.
John enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1967 and was honorably discharged in 1971. He did basic training in San Diego, was stationed in Hawaii and Alaska, and onboard the aircraft carrier Constellation.
On July 8, 1972 in Marshalltown, Iowa John was united in marriage to Jan Hartzell.
A son, Donnie, joined their family in 1979. Over the years they made their home in Iowa, California and Texas.
John’s career was predominantly centered around Customer Service with Lennox Industries, Sprint, and the City of Plano Parks and Recreation Department including management positions with Lennox and Sprint.
John enjoyed sports including basketball, football, and slow-pitch softball both as a participant and spectator.
His favorite teams were the Iowa Hawkeyes, Baltimore Orioles, and Dallas Cowboys.
He gave of his time volunteering to appear as “Santa Claus” for over 40 years and at the Texas Oncology East Clinic.
He is survived by his wife Jan Finley; son Don Finley of Allen, Texas; grandson, Jonathan (Savanna) Finley of Anna, Texas; great grandson, Kayson Gilbertson and his father, Kaleb, of McKinney, Texas; and two sisters, Kathie Shore of Albion, Iowa and Jackie (Fred) Ohrt of Marshalltown, Iowa.
John was preceded in death by his parents and one granddaughter, Tabitha Finley, who passed away in 2018.
A visitation will be held on Tuesday, October 15, 2019 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Ted Dickey West Funeral Home, located at 7990 George Bush Turnpike, Dallas, Texas 75252.
A Memorial Service and Celebration of John's life will be held on Wednesday, October 16, 2019 at 2:00 PM also at Ted Dickey West Funeral Home, located at 7990 George Bush Turnpike, Dallas, Texas 75252.
The family will receive guests immediately following the memorial service at Ted Dickey West reception area.
Memorials may be directed to either the family or the Stead Family Children’s Hospital in Iowa City, Iowa.
John’s family would like to thank the physicians and staff of Texas Oncology in Plano and Dallas and Faith Presbyterian Hospice for the exceptional care John received during his illness.
***ALL SERVICES WILL BE HELD AT THE TED DICKEY WEST FUNERAL HOME LOCATION AT GEORGE BUSH AND COIT.***
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