Gerald Raymond Finley

Gerry was born in 1924 in Brooklyn, New York, to Russian Jewish immigrant parents. He served in the Army Air Force during World War II and came to California in 1946 after the war ended to attend USC School of Pharmacy on the G.I. Bill. It was in Los Angeles that he met his future wife, Ruth, while playing tennis. Gerry and Ruth got married in 1954, settled in North Hollywood, and started their family before permanently relocating to Huntington Beach in 1965. That same year, Gerry partnered with a college friend to open College Pharmacy in Long Beach. The successful neighborhood drugstore served the community for three decades until Gerry retired and sold the business in the 1990s. 

Gerry was a great father and husband who provided tremendous background support to Ruth during the years when she was active in Huntington Beach city affairs, including her terms of service as a member of the Planning Commission and City Council, and her role as mayor. Those who knew Gerry personally know that he was very proud of Ruth’s accomplishments.

Gerry was a sports fan to the end, loyally rooting for his home town Dodgers from Brooklyn to L.A. He loved to bowl and play golf (with a lifetime achievement of three holes-in-one!), was an avid crossword puzzler, a loyal Jeopardy! fan, and a voracious reader. His love for reading led him to volunteer at the Huntington Beach Public Library in the used book sale program.

Gerry is survived by his children: Laura and son-in-law, Ken Cole; Elaine and son-in-law, Perry Minamide; David and daughter-in-law, Nancy Finley; and seven grandchildren. He will be buried alongside Ruth, who died in 2002, at the family cemetery in Mahwah, New Jersey, near Ruth’s hometown of Ramsey. A memorial gathering for family and friends to celebrate Gerry’s life will be held at the Huntington Beach home of Laura and Ken Cole on November 4th, 2017.

He will be missed.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation in the name of Gerald R. Finley to Friends of the Huntington Beach Public Library (donation information linked below).

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