Barbara A. Mitchell Finlayson

Barbara Allene Mitchell Finlayson (née Lewis), daughter of the late Dr. Joel E. Lewis and Margaret T. Lewis, was born in Oakland, CA on September 21, 1946, and passed away on May 29, 2025, in Concord, CA, after a long illness.

Barbara attended St. Leo's Catholic School and Holy Names Catholic High School in Oakland and Howard University in Washington, D.C. She retired from the Alameda Health System (having worked at Highland Hospital and Fairmont Hospital for much of her career), with a brief stint at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center.

Barbara's first marriage was to the late James Almwick "Ace" Mitchell, a fellow Howard University student. Barbara and Ace settled in D.C. for several years post-university, where she worked as a teacher. They were blessed with two daughters during this union, which ended in divorce, after which she returned to Oakland to raise her children.

Barbara's second marriage was to the late Ronald "'Ron" D. Finlayson. With this marriage, she also became a devoted stepmother to Ron's son. Barbara and Ron were married nearly 4 decades before he was called to rest. Together, they travelled to places near and far, hosted countless gatherings and became the focal point for their blended and extended family. Through the years, Barbara continued to support and inspire her children in reaching their own educational, professional and personal growth goals. As her family expanded to new generations, her role shifted to that of family matriarch, a role she cherished. Devoted to the end, her husband Ron was a caretaker and provider for Barbara in her later years as she began to suffer the effects of vascular dementia. Indeed, whenever she was asked how she was doing, she would smile and say, "I'm doing okay, Ron's taking really good care of me."

Barbara was a valued friend and a source of unwavering support. Her laughter was contagious, her home always open. She remembered important occasions and always made others feel special. She was a longtime member of the Oakland Bay Area Chapter of Links, Inc, a sisterhood of women dedicated to charity and service, and a founding family-member of Jack & Jill Family Camp in the Mendocino Woodlands and the Oakland Chapter of Jack & Jill of America. She was a Debutante in the 1963 Links' Cotillion.

Anyone who knew Barbara knew of her love of dogs, horses, her family and shopping. She loved attending dog shows and even showed her purebred English Springer Spaniel as part of the Golden Gate Kennel Club. Barbara spent several years later in life taking up horseback riding again, reprising a hobby she held as a child.

Her love of vibrant pieces of art was evident in her collection of paintings, prints and sculptures that decorated her home. She was a frequent attendee of jazz festivals and the Monterey Jazz Festival, often held on a weekend near her birthday, was a favorite destination. Holidays were taken to the next level with Barbara's love of all things Christmas and noisy decorations, including motion-activated everything you could imagine brightening up the Finlayson home.

Barbara is survived by her sister M. Patricia (Lewis) Forneret and brother David Lewis and his husband Brian Bennett of Oakland, California, daughter Susan D. Mitchell of Birmingham, Alabama, daughter and son-in-law Jorge and B. Nicole (Mitchell) Rodriguez of New Providence, New Jersey, stepson Jonathan Finlayson of New York, New York, 11 grandchildren Kiara, Amiri, Joel, Circe, Sabre, Sahlace, Saba, Psalm, Seraph, Noelle and Gabriel, four great grandchildren and a host of cousins, nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her late husband of 38 years Ronald Finlayson, brother Joel E. Lewis, Jr., baby sister Susan D. Lewis, mother Margaret Taylor Lewis and father Dr. Joel E. Lewis.

A memorial service will be held at the Chapel at Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, CA on September 20, 2025.

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to the Alameda Health System Foundation https://www.foundationahs.org/donate/