Laurel Lea Finke

Laurel Lea (Williams) Finke, daughter of the late Dorothy June (Anderson) and Orville R.
Williams was born November 19, 1954 in Centralia, Washington. Her hope for eternal life
through faith in Jesus was realized on Wednesday October 29, 2025 when she passed from this
life into the presence of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Laurel graduated in the class of 1973 from Sam Barlow High School in Gresham, Oregon. She
received a Bachelor of Arts in Education in 1978 from Oregon College of Education (OCE).
During that time she spent a year of study abroad in France, which she greatly enjoyed and
carried many fond memories. She taught eighth grade math at Clatskanie High School for one
year before returning to college to complete her Master of Arts in Mathematics at Oregon State
University in 1983. She then taught math classes at Western Oregon University (WOU, formerly
OCE) in Monmouth, Oregon. Teaching and communication were her passions and many of her
students complimented her on her teaching style and her ability to make math understandable to
them for the first time in their lives. In addition to her professional teaching career, she
homeschooled all four of her children and was very active in the homeschooling network in
Monmouth, Oregon community. For several years, she coordinated with local homeschooling
families and WOU faculty to facilitate swimming lessons, physical fitness, and art classes on
campus. She also helped coordinate lunches for international students attending WOU where she
met and interacted with students from all over the world. She enjoyed using the gifts that the
Lord had blessed her with to serve her community.
Laurel met Paul Finke at OCE in the fall of 1977 and they were married on November 22, 1980.
Over their almost 45 years of marriage they were blessed with 4 children and 9 grandchildren.
She was a faithful wife and caring mother who deeply loved and cherished her family and valued
spending time with them. She was very competitive in board games and loved reading. While
she was not the least bit athletic herself, she was a loyal fan of the Portland Trail Blazers, the
Seattle Mariners, and the Oregon State Beavers.
Despite all her physical limitations due to Multiple Sclerosis, Laurel maintained a cheerful,
upbeat spirit and was most thankful to be able to live out her life with her husband at their home
in Columbia City, Oregon where they moved after Paul retired in 2018. She was also thankful
for all the caregivers and family who helped make that possible.
Laurel was preceded in death by her brother, Raymond Williams; father, Orville R. Williams;
mother, Dorothy June Riedel; and step-mother, Vivian Irlene Williams.
She is survived by her husband, Paul; sister, Jean Marie Daniels; children, Erin Finke, Joshua
(Clara) Finke, Louis (Mollie) Finke, and Anna (Cody) Watson; and 9 grandchildren: Aiden,
Daniel, Carly, Korban, Caroline, Sophia, Grace, Jace, and Remington.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday November 15 at 1:00PM at Columbia River
Foursquare Church in St. Helens, Oregon with a reception following the service. A visitation
will be held on Thursday November 13 from 5:30 - 7:00PM at Columbia Funeral Home in St.
Helens, Oregon.
Those who wish to honor Laurel's memory with a donation may consider Columbia River
Foursquare Church in St. Helens, Oregon where Laurel and Paul regularly attended.