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Finley, John G. 'Jack'
John G. “Jack” Finley, 80, of Iowa City, died Thursday, April 21, 2011, at Mercy Iowa City. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 26, at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service, with the Rev. Samuel Massey officiating. Burial, with military honors, will be at Oakland Cemetery in Iowa City. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday at the funeral home, concluding with a Masonic memorial service at 8 p.m.
John Gleason Finley was born Dec. 11, 1930, in Cincinnati, Ohio, the son of Ralph and Gertrude (Kleiss) Finley. Following graduation from high school in Tuscola, Ill., John enlisted in the United States Army, serving during the Korean conflict. He was united in marriage to Anna Mae T. Sesol on Nov. 23, 1963, in Evergreen Park, Ill. Jack started a career with the former H.P. Smith Co. in Chicago, later becoming one of the key people who established the Iowa City plant in 1970. He remained with this company here in Iowa City until his retirement from the company now named Loparex.
He was an active member of First Presbyterian Church, serving as both an elder and deacon; member of the Masonic Lodge, rising to the rank of a Grand Master Mason; Demolay, VFW, SPEBSQSA (Barbershop Chorus), and formerly a member of the volunteer fire department in LaGrange, Ill.
Jack was an avid Hawkeye fan, even more avid and crazy for the Green Bay Packers! He loved reading, anything to do with history, golfing, boating, fishing, gardening, woodworking, but most of all spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
His family includes his wife, Ann; four daughters, Laura (Bryan) Cox of Spring Grove, Ill., Shari (Scott) Butterfield of Solon, Susan (Richard) Bouchard of Bradenton, Fla., and Linda (Greg) Stout of Tampa, Fla.; grandchildren, Joshua, Nathan, Katie, Nick, Kate, Jenny, Mike and Dan; and great-grandchildren, Aiden, Jackson, Adam, Libby and Zoe.
He was preceded in death by his parents, and a brother, Bernard “Bud” Kleiss.
A memorial fund has been established in Jack's memory.
Online condolences may be sent for his family through the web at
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