John Walter Finch

FINCH, JOHN WALTER (Wally) 1922 to 2007
Our much-loved husband, dad, grandpa, great-grandpa and friend, passed over into Heaven on November 1, 2007. Wally was a native San Diegan, born on September 22, 1922. He liked to tell people he was born in the San Diego Zoo. Actually, he was born in the Municipal Camp Ground that became the San Diego Zoo two years later. He attended Brooklyn Elementary School, Horace Mann Jr. High and Hoover High School. After graduation he went down to Convair to apply for a job. But there was a long line at the employment office, so he decided to join the Navy, where there was no line (this was before Pearl Harbor). He served on a PBY as radioman in the North African Campaign. His commanding officer sent him back to the States in 1943, for officers' training. He was in the V-12 Program at UCLA and the ROTC at USC. While at UCLA, he met the love of his life, Auralie. On February 24, 1946, he graduated with a BS in Engineering from USC in the morning, received his commission as Naval Lieutenant JG in the afternoon, and married Auralie in the evening. After the war, he served as recreation officer at North Island Navy Base on Coronado. In 1949, he went to work at Convair in San Diego. He then formed his own company, Wavelabs, which specialized in vibration sensors and electronic warning devices for the military and commercial jet aircraft. After he sold his company, he ventured into real estate where he remained active until retiring last year. He has always been active in community affairs in San Diego Boys Club, San Diego Board of Realtors, Rotary Club International, San Diego Camellia Society, Mended Hearts Association and served on the San Diego County Assessor Appeals Board. In his spare time he loved spending summers at the family cabin in Lake Almanor, California with his rapidly growing family. Wally is survived by his wife of sixty-two years, Auralie; his children, Caralie Norman, Glenn and Mark Finch, all of La Mesa. In addition, he has six granddaughters and five great-grandchildren. A Memorial Service will be at the La Mesa Adventist Community Church on Wednesday, November 7, 2007, at 1:00 p.m., 4207 Spring Street, La Mesa, CA. It is suggested that memorial gifts be given to The Mended Hearts, Inc. in care of The American Heart Association at 9404 Genesse Avenue, Suite 240, La Jolla, CA 92037 or go to sandiego mendedhearts.org Wally was greatly loved by family and friends and will be deeply missed.Please sign the guest book at obituaries.uniontrib.com