March 16, 2006
Finley, Howard B. “BRUCE”, 62, died peacefully at home on Saturday March 11, 2006
Bruce was a Union Organizer and Organizing Director for 36 years with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union. He was passionate in his life’s work building solidarity for the union worker. The generosity of his time, talents, and knowledge in attempting to ensure protection for the common worker in the workplace was boundless. He worked in Akron, Ohio with the Retail Clerks Local Union 698 and then through out all of Northeast Ohio with UFCW Local 880. In 1993 Bruce moved to Louisville and became the Organizing Director of UFCW Local 227. Together with the new leadership of the Local, they organized new members and became the largest local union in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. After retiring from the Local in 2003, Bruce continued to work with the Union designing and maintaining their website and writing their newspaper.
He was born in Cambridge, Ohio and graduated from Whitehall-Yearling high school in Columbus, OH. He attended Ohio State University and was First Chair Trumpet player in the Ohio State University Band.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Dortha Finley Jamiel. He is survived by his loving wife, Patricia Baizel Finley; his daughter, Erin (Dirk) McKnight of Chardon, OH; his two sons, Erich Finley of Charlotte, VT and Christopher Finley of Santa Monica, CA; a sister, Donna (Jim) Hunter of Columbus, OH; a half-brother, James T. Jamiel, grandchildren, Christopher, Jonathan, William and Elizabeth McKnight. He was the beloved uncle to many nieces and nephews.
A memorial service celebrating Bruce’s life will be held at a later date. Expressions of sympathy may be made to the Danny Dettlinger Memorial Scholarship Fund, UFCW Local 227, 3330 Pinecroft Dr, Louisville, KY 40219 or the University of Louisville Foundation for the Paul Weber Fellowship for Mentoring Excellence, University of Louisville, 2323 S. Brooks St, Louisville, KY 40292.
Posted by CarolN at March 16, 2006 01:29 PM