Gladys H. Fincher

April 3, 1939 – June 19, 2026

Gladys Loretta Fincher, age 87, of Houston, Texas, passed away on June 19, 2026. She was born on April 3, 1939, in Folkston, Georgia, to Herbert Wayne Huling and Sarah Elizabeth (Knowles) Huling.

Gladys graduated as valedictorian of Folkston High School in 1957 and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in English, with a minor in Secondary Education, from the University of Georgia in 1961. After teaching high school in Florida for a year, she began a lifelong career in public service with the DeKalb County Department of Children and Family Services in Decatur, Georgia, where she advanced through every level to County Program Director. Her work focused on providing public assistance to the elderly and disabled and administering aid programs for those in need.

On June 19, 1965, Gladys married the love of her life, Clinton Leroy Fincher, at the First Methodist Church in Folkston, Georgia. The couple made their home in Decatur, where they welcomed their daughter, Nicole. In 1978, Clinton’s career with Texaco Oil Company moved the family to Chicago, Illinois, and later to Houston, Texas. Gladys continued her work throughout these moves, serving with the State of Illinois Department of Public Aid and then the Texas Department of Human Services, where she worked in benefits eligibility determination until her retirement in 2000 after eighteen years of service in Texas.

Gladys found great joy in cooking, reading, gardening, home decorating, and playing the piano. She loved hosting holiday gatherings and opening her home to family. Above all, she was devoted to her five grandchildren, taking an active interest in their lives, celebrating their milestones, and supporting them in every way she could.

Gladys was preceded in death by her parents, Herbert and Sarah Elizabeth Huling; her husband, Clinton Fincher; and her siblings, David Huling, Daniel Huling, Doris Huling Eakes, and Robert Huling.

She is survived by her daughter, Nicole Fincher Cadungog and her husband Judgre Cadungog; her grandchildren, Joshua, Micaela, Madeleine, Elijah, and Gideon; and a loving extended family of nieces and nephews.