Clifton D. Finney 1941-2007

SNYDER, GRATTON, FINNEY, AKIYAMA, FREEMAN, MURAKAMI, STARKEY, CARTER, FAUST

Posted By: Volunteer
Date: 2/6/2008 at 11:36:16

Clifton D. Finney

Clifton D. Finney, 66, of Hot Springs Village, Ark., for a month, formerly of Baton Rouge, La., and Dubuque, died Thursday, Dec. 27, 2007, at home.

Services were held Sunday, Dec. 30, at Caruth Village Funeral Home, 4623 North Highway 7, Hot Springs Village.

He was born on April 7, 1941, in Dubuque, son of Clifton Monroe Finney and Violet Snyder Gratton. He attended West Point Academy, obtained a Doctorate Degree in Chemistry from Kansas State University, did post doctoral research at the University of Toronto and taught at Drake University in Des Moines and the University of Houston.

He was very involved in research and was a great intellectual and inventor, named to Who's Who in America and Who's Who in Science and Engineering, and also was the recipient of several patents for golf club heads. He was a forward thinker and championed many great causes before their time.

He was an excellent golfer, enjoyed hunting and fishing and spending time with his pets. He was a dedicated and loving husband and father.

Surviving are his wife of 39 years, Kazuko Akiyama Finney, of Hot Springs Village; a daughter, Ann Mari Finney, at home; his mother, Violet Gratton, of Dubuque; an aunt, Lila Freeman, of Atkins, Iowa; a brother-in-law, Hiroshi Akiyama, of Japan; a sister-in-law, Chiyo Murakami, of Japan; stepbrothers, Craig (Jill) Starkey, of Phoenix, Curtis (Penny) Starkey, of Port Orchard, Wash., Wayne (Donna) Gratton, of Dubuque; stepsisters, Donna Carter, of John Day, Ore., and Sharon (Clarence) Faust, of Dubuque; and several cousins.

He was preceded in death by his father, Clifton M. Finney; his father and mother-in-law, Kaoru and Hideyo Akiyama; and maternal grandparents and paternal grandparents.

Dubuque Telegraph Herald, Tuesday, January 1, 2008. Copyright (c) Woodward Communications, Inc. 2008.