Mr. Ronald M. Finley, age 68 of Alpharetta, GA
A native of Portland, OR, Mr. Finley was raised in Coquille, OR. He was a graduate of Linefield College and retired as Director of Human Resources at Georgia Gulf Corporation. He was an avid marathon runner, mountain climber and sailor. Mr. Finley was preceded in death by his son, Carl Warren Finley. He is survived by his wife Patricia Hendricks Finley; sons and daughters-in-law, Aaron E. and Kim Finley of White Plains, MD and Nathan P. and Kathryn Finley of Flowery Branch; grandson, Michael Carl Finley; sisters, Diane Harris of Sacramento, CA and Katie Henderson of Coquille, OR; brother, Michael Finley of Coquille, OR.
Cause of death: pancreas cancer
Newspaper article (10/27/2005)
At work, Ron Finley taught employees how to stay safe. For fun, he lived dangerously.
One of his favorite pastimes was ocean sailing. "Ron was a real gentleman, very quiet and polite, but he was a fearless sailor," said his sailing companion Dick Gates of Naples, Fla. "He never saw another sailboat he didn't want to race."
Mr. Gates and Mr. Finley sailed to the Bahamas, from South Carolina to North Newport, R.I., along the Chesapeake Bay and around Cape Hatteras. Often they would relocate boats for their owners and twice ran into hurricanes.
Ronald M. Finley, 68, of Alpharetta died of complications from pancreatic cancer on Tuesday at Northside Hospital. The body was cremated. The memorial service is noon today at H.M. Patterson & Son, Arlington Chapel.
Growing up in rural Coquille, Ore., Mr. Finley learned how to be an outdoorsman from his lumberjack father. He hunted elk and deer and fished for trout and salmon. He learned to eat what he killed.
"They were pretty rugged folks," said his son Aaron E. Finley of White Plains, Md. "They didn't have much money, but they always ate."
Mr. Finley supported himself through Linfield College in Oregon by working summers in the saw mills and log ponds. After landing a job as an accountant with Georgia-Pacific Corp. in Coos Bay, Ore., he continued to enjoy outdoor activities. He ran marathons, including the Boston Marathon. He climbed challenging mountains, among them Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens before it erupted.
His career took him to Chicago, where he met Patricia Hendricks, whom he married in 1967. He eventually landed at Georgia-Pacific headquarters in Portland, Ore., and when the company relocated, he came to Atlanta in 1983. In the 1980s, Mr. Finley left Georgia-Pacific, where he was a manager of employee relations, to join another Fortune 500 company, Georgia Gulf Corp., as director of human resources.
A large part of his duties involved safety training. He was so good at it that in 1991, Behavioral Science Technology Inc. hired him as a consultant specializing in safety management and training.
His new job had a nice perk. In 1994 he was transferred to Warminster, England, where he lived three years in an elaborate 18th-century house his son compared to Mount Vernon. From there he had easy access to all of Europe, where he happily pursued his passion for antiques.
"He collected antique canes and aviation prints by Robert Taylor," his son said. Once, he found an antique violin at a flea market. Immediately someone offered to buy it at double what he paid, but he wouldn't sell. "Dad would always find the stuff everyone else wished they had found."
At his Dunwoody house, Mr. Finley memorized long poems by the likes of Robert Service and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, then recited them in his backyard to the menagerie he fed --- possums, raccoons, roosters, four cats and an English bulldog.
Survivors include his wife, Patricia Hendricks Finley; another son, Nathan P. Finley of Flowery Branch; two sisters, Diane Harris of Sacramento, Calif., and Katie Henderson of Coquille; a brother, Michael Finley of Coquille; and a grandson.
A native of Portland, OR, Mr. Finley was raised in Coquille, OR. He was a graduate of Linefield College and retired as Director of Human Resources at Georgia Gulf Corporation. He was an avid marathon runner, mountain climber and sailor. Mr. Finley was preceded in death by his son, Carl Warren Finley. He is survived by his wife Patricia Hendricks Finley; sons and daughters-in-law, Aaron E. and Kim Finley of White Plains, MD and Nathan P. and Kathryn Finley of Flowery Branch; grandson, Michael Carl Finley; sisters, Diane Harris of Sacramento, CA and Katie Henderson of Coquille, OR; brother, Michael Finley of Coquille, OR.
Cause of death: pancreas cancer
Newspaper article (10/27/2005)
At work, Ron Finley taught employees how to stay safe. For fun, he lived dangerously.
One of his favorite pastimes was ocean sailing. "Ron was a real gentleman, very quiet and polite, but he was a fearless sailor," said his sailing companion Dick Gates of Naples, Fla. "He never saw another sailboat he didn't want to race."
Mr. Gates and Mr. Finley sailed to the Bahamas, from South Carolina to North Newport, R.I., along the Chesapeake Bay and around Cape Hatteras. Often they would relocate boats for their owners and twice ran into hurricanes.
Ronald M. Finley, 68, of Alpharetta died of complications from pancreatic cancer on Tuesday at Northside Hospital. The body was cremated. The memorial service is noon today at H.M. Patterson & Son, Arlington Chapel.
Growing up in rural Coquille, Ore., Mr. Finley learned how to be an outdoorsman from his lumberjack father. He hunted elk and deer and fished for trout and salmon. He learned to eat what he killed.
"They were pretty rugged folks," said his son Aaron E. Finley of White Plains, Md. "They didn't have much money, but they always ate."
Mr. Finley supported himself through Linfield College in Oregon by working summers in the saw mills and log ponds. After landing a job as an accountant with Georgia-Pacific Corp. in Coos Bay, Ore., he continued to enjoy outdoor activities. He ran marathons, including the Boston Marathon. He climbed challenging mountains, among them Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens before it erupted.
His career took him to Chicago, where he met Patricia Hendricks, whom he married in 1967. He eventually landed at Georgia-Pacific headquarters in Portland, Ore., and when the company relocated, he came to Atlanta in 1983. In the 1980s, Mr. Finley left Georgia-Pacific, where he was a manager of employee relations, to join another Fortune 500 company, Georgia Gulf Corp., as director of human resources.
A large part of his duties involved safety training. He was so good at it that in 1991, Behavioral Science Technology Inc. hired him as a consultant specializing in safety management and training.
His new job had a nice perk. In 1994 he was transferred to Warminster, England, where he lived three years in an elaborate 18th-century house his son compared to Mount Vernon. From there he had easy access to all of Europe, where he happily pursued his passion for antiques.
"He collected antique canes and aviation prints by Robert Taylor," his son said. Once, he found an antique violin at a flea market. Immediately someone offered to buy it at double what he paid, but he wouldn't sell. "Dad would always find the stuff everyone else wished they had found."
At his Dunwoody house, Mr. Finley memorized long poems by the likes of Robert Service and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, then recited them in his backyard to the menagerie he fed --- possums, raccoons, roosters, four cats and an English bulldog.
Survivors include his wife, Patricia Hendricks Finley; another son, Nathan P. Finley of Flowery Branch; two sisters, Diane Harris of Sacramento, Calif., and Katie Henderson of Coquille; a brother, Michael Finley of Coquille; and a grandson.
Mr. Ronald M. Finley, age 68 of Alpharetta, GA
A native of Portland, OR, Mr. Finley was raised in Coquille, OR. He was a graduate of Linefield College and retired as Director of Human Resources at Georgia Gulf Corporation. He was an avid marathon runner, mountain climber and sailor. Mr. Finley was preceded in death by his son, Carl Warren Finley. He is survived by his wife Patricia Hendricks Finley; sons and daughters-in-law, Aaron E. and Kim Finley of White Plains, MD and Nathan P. and Kathryn Finley of Flowery Branch; grandson, Michael Carl Finley; sisters, Diane Harris of Sacramento, CA and Katie Henderson of Coquille, OR; brother, Michael Finley of Coquille, OR.
Cause of death: pancreas cancer
Newspaper article (10/27/2005)
At work, Ron Finley taught employees how to stay safe. For fun, he lived dangerously.
One of his favorite pastimes was ocean sailing. "Ron was a real gentleman, very quiet and polite, but he was a fearless sailor," said his sailing companion Dick Gates of Naples, Fla. "He never saw another sailboat he didn't want to race."
Mr. Gates and Mr. Finley sailed to the Bahamas, from South Carolina to North Newport, R.I., along the Chesapeake Bay and around Cape Hatteras. Often they would relocate boats for their owners and twice ran into hurricanes.
Ronald M. Finley, 68, of Alpharetta died of complications from pancreatic cancer on Tuesday at Northside Hospital. The body was cremated. The memorial service is noon today at H.M. Patterson & Son, Arlington Chapel.
Growing up in rural Coquille, Ore., Mr. Finley learned how to be an outdoorsman from his lumberjack father. He hunted elk and deer and fished for trout and salmon. He learned to eat what he killed.
"They were pretty rugged folks," said his son Aaron E. Finley of White Plains, Md. "They didn't have much money, but they always ate."
Mr. Finley supported himself through Linfield College in Oregon by working summers in the saw mills and log ponds. After landing a job as an accountant with Georgia-Pacific Corp. in Coos Bay, Ore., he continued to enjoy outdoor activities. He ran marathons, including the Boston Marathon. He climbed challenging mountains, among them Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens before it erupted.
His career took him to Chicago, where he met Patricia Hendricks, whom he married in 1967. He eventually landed at Georgia-Pacific headquarters in Portland, Ore., and when the company relocated, he came to Atlanta in 1983. In the 1980s, Mr. Finley left Georgia-Pacific, where he was a manager of employee relations, to join another Fortune 500 company, Georgia Gulf Corp., as director of human resources.
A large part of his duties involved safety training. He was so good at it that in 1991, Behavioral Science Technology Inc. hired him as a consultant specializing in safety management and training.
His new job had a nice perk. In 1994 he was transferred to Warminster, England, where he lived three years in an elaborate 18th-century house his son compared to Mount Vernon. From there he had easy access to all of Europe, where he happily pursued his passion for antiques.
"He collected antique canes and aviation prints by Robert Taylor," his son said. Once, he found an antique violin at a flea market. Immediately someone offered to buy it at double what he paid, but he wouldn't sell. "Dad would always find the stuff everyone else wished they had found."
At his Dunwoody house, Mr. Finley memorized long poems by the likes of Robert Service and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, then recited them in his backyard to the menagerie he fed --- possums, raccoons, roosters, four cats and an English bulldog.
Survivors include his wife, Patricia Hendricks Finley; another son, Nathan P. Finley of Flowery Branch; two sisters, Diane Harris of Sacramento, Calif., and Katie Henderson of Coquille; a brother, Michael Finley of Coquille; and a grandson.
A native of Portland, OR, Mr. Finley was raised in Coquille, OR. He was a graduate of Linefield College and retired as Director of Human Resources at Georgia Gulf Corporation. He was an avid marathon runner, mountain climber and sailor. Mr. Finley was preceded in death by his son, Carl Warren Finley. He is survived by his wife Patricia Hendricks Finley; sons and daughters-in-law, Aaron E. and Kim Finley of White Plains, MD and Nathan P. and Kathryn Finley of Flowery Branch; grandson, Michael Carl Finley; sisters, Diane Harris of Sacramento, CA and Katie Henderson of Coquille, OR; brother, Michael Finley of Coquille, OR.
Cause of death: pancreas cancer
Newspaper article (10/27/2005)
At work, Ron Finley taught employees how to stay safe. For fun, he lived dangerously.
One of his favorite pastimes was ocean sailing. "Ron was a real gentleman, very quiet and polite, but he was a fearless sailor," said his sailing companion Dick Gates of Naples, Fla. "He never saw another sailboat he didn't want to race."
Mr. Gates and Mr. Finley sailed to the Bahamas, from South Carolina to North Newport, R.I., along the Chesapeake Bay and around Cape Hatteras. Often they would relocate boats for their owners and twice ran into hurricanes.
Ronald M. Finley, 68, of Alpharetta died of complications from pancreatic cancer on Tuesday at Northside Hospital. The body was cremated. The memorial service is noon today at H.M. Patterson & Son, Arlington Chapel.
Growing up in rural Coquille, Ore., Mr. Finley learned how to be an outdoorsman from his lumberjack father. He hunted elk and deer and fished for trout and salmon. He learned to eat what he killed.
"They were pretty rugged folks," said his son Aaron E. Finley of White Plains, Md. "They didn't have much money, but they always ate."
Mr. Finley supported himself through Linfield College in Oregon by working summers in the saw mills and log ponds. After landing a job as an accountant with Georgia-Pacific Corp. in Coos Bay, Ore., he continued to enjoy outdoor activities. He ran marathons, including the Boston Marathon. He climbed challenging mountains, among them Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens before it erupted.
His career took him to Chicago, where he met Patricia Hendricks, whom he married in 1967. He eventually landed at Georgia-Pacific headquarters in Portland, Ore., and when the company relocated, he came to Atlanta in 1983. In the 1980s, Mr. Finley left Georgia-Pacific, where he was a manager of employee relations, to join another Fortune 500 company, Georgia Gulf Corp., as director of human resources.
A large part of his duties involved safety training. He was so good at it that in 1991, Behavioral Science Technology Inc. hired him as a consultant specializing in safety management and training.
His new job had a nice perk. In 1994 he was transferred to Warminster, England, where he lived three years in an elaborate 18th-century house his son compared to Mount Vernon. From there he had easy access to all of Europe, where he happily pursued his passion for antiques.
"He collected antique canes and aviation prints by Robert Taylor," his son said. Once, he found an antique violin at a flea market. Immediately someone offered to buy it at double what he paid, but he wouldn't sell. "Dad would always find the stuff everyone else wished they had found."
At his Dunwoody house, Mr. Finley memorized long poems by the likes of Robert Service and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, then recited them in his backyard to the menagerie he fed --- possums, raccoons, roosters, four cats and an English bulldog.
Survivors include his wife, Patricia Hendricks Finley; another son, Nathan P. Finley of Flowery Branch; two sisters, Diane Harris of Sacramento, Calif., and Katie Henderson of Coquille; a brother, Michael Finley of Coquille; and a grandson.
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