Richard Dean Finch

1958 - 2008

Richard Dean thought he had the flu, so he went to bed early Monday night, Feb. 11, 2008, and died peacefully in his sleep. He was born March 14, 1958, in Abilene, Texas.
He almost always called his dad, Richard Floyd Finch, every Sunday or Monday night at 8 p.m. to talk for 15 to 20 minutes, but this past Monday, he did not call because he was sick. The unofficial cause of death was a heart attack, caused by 16 years of taking prescription medications.
Richard Dean attended Alamogordo grade schools from 1966 to 1970 and graduated from Righetti High School in Santa Maria, Calif., and attended Allan Hancock College there. He and his 21-year-old daughter, Chanel Finch, were members of the Foster Road Church of Christ in Santa Maria, where he and his dad helped in the construction of same in the early 1970s.
In the 1970s, he was an assembler for Piper Aerostar Aircraft Corp. in Santa Maria, where his dad also worked. His favorite things to do were to ride his nearly new Harley Sportster and his newly acquired Honda 1300 Gold Wing, and to feed his birds and raise tomatoes. He had also recently acquired a Toyota Tundra truck to go with his Buick four-door car. He also enjoyed visiting with Arland, one of his high school buddies, on Saturdays to talk cars and religion. He also owned and drove several Corvairs in the 1970s and 1980s and enjoyed working on them with his dad.
He was a faithful Christian and a wonderful son. He is survived by his mother, Charlotte June Lucas; step-dad Cole Lucas, of Santa Maria; his daughter, Chanel Finch, of Santa Maria; and his dad, Richard F. Finch and step-mom Gayle E. Finch, of Tularosa.
He was preceded in death by his older brother, Rocky Dale Finch.
A memorial service will be held in Alamogordo March 27 at the Cuba Avenue Church, due to his dad presently recovering from two knee replacement surgeries, one just recently. A separate graveside service will be held at the Clarendon, Texas, cemetery in March, so Dean can be buried beside his older brother and his grandparents.