Dr. Richard Daniel Finley

Funeral services for Dr. Richard Daniel Finley PhD will be held at 1:00 P.M. Tuesday, April 5, 2022, in the chapel of Mulhearn Funeral Home Sterlington Rd., Monroe, LA, with Rev. William Sikes officiating. Interment will follow in Mulhearn Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction of Mulhearn Funeral Home Sterlington Rd. Visitation will be held from 11:00 A.M. until time of service.

Dr. Richard Daniel Finley PhD (85), known as ‘Doc’ Finley to hundreds of baseball players in the Monroe area over the years, passed away at 3:00 P.M. on Friday April 1st at his home in Monroe after a long fight with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. He rejoins the love of his life Donna Sue in heaven. Dad was born on August 30, 1936 to Katherine Veronica Forbeck Finley and Demi Daniel Finley in New Albany, Indiana. He attended Robinson High School in Robinson, Illinois where he became a multisport star as well as an excellent student. Doc garnered all state selection in football, and basketball and also played baseball for a semi pro team when he was 16 years old. After high school he received a college scholarship to play football at the University of Illinois. His parents moved to Tahlequah, Oklahoma for career changes and Doc became homesick and transferred to Northeastern Oklahoma State College to be near his family. This was the best decision of his life because he met his future wife, Donna Sue McNabb. She was a coal miner’s daughter from Oklahoma. It was a love that was and still is special. He was the star halfback of the football team and she was the homecoming queen. The two of them created a 62 year love affair that will continue in Heaven. Doc’s personal request is that everyone who attends his funeral service wear a shirt of their favorite sports team. Sports and education were an integral part of Doc and Donna Sue’s lives.

Education took them from Oklahoma to Colorado to Wyoming and back to Oklahoma again. During that time, they had three children, David, Dawn and Dee (and their dog Dobie) with Dad getting a Masters of Science, a degree in Mathematics and a Doctor of Philosophy degree (‘Doc Finley’). Then the family moved to Monroe, Louisiana as ‘Doc” took a job at Northeastern Louisiana State College (ULM) as the Head of the Math Department. Donna Sue began a teaching career that touched hundreds of second graders lives. Doc began a volunteer coaching career that lasted for over 25 years and touched the lives of hundreds of ball players. He coached multiple baseball teams over the years and won multiple championships in Dixie Major all-star tournaments and Dixie Major World Series. What many people don’t know is that Doc also coached multiple girls’ basketball and softball teams during his two daughters’ formative years.

“Doc’ Finley leaves behind a legacy that is far reaching as he and Donna Sue touched so many lives through sports and education. Dick and Donna were a team. Anyone who knew them felt the special love they had for each other and for helping to grow children into good young adults. Any boy or girl who had ‘Doc’ as a coach learned that he loved helping boys and girls become men and women who their parents could be proud of. We are honored to be part of their ‘team’. Any college student who had ‘Doc’ for a math class at ULM remembered their experience as one of his students for many years.

Dick Finley (Richard Daniel ‘Doc’ Finley), is survived by his sister, Claudia Young and husband Dan and their children and grandchildren; in-laws, Max McNabb, Beverly Kiger, and Mona Kay and Paul Campbell and the Okie bunch; son, Dr. David Daniel Finley and Valerie; daughter, Cynthia Dawn Finley Ballard; daughter, Dee Ellen Finley Robinson and Tommy; grandchildren, Megan April Wasson Hardy and Derek, Ashton Daniel Finley, Cpl. Kaleb Mickael Finley (USMC), Coalton David Finley, Kristin Paige Finley, Chloe Alexandra Ballard, Jana Leigh Tuma and Scott, Dr. Rachel MacGregor and Ryan; and great grandchildren, Parker Miller Hardy and Clark Thomas Tuma.

Special love and thanks to Shonta Brass who was Doc and Donna’s caregiver in the final months of their journey on Earth.

Pallbearers will be Rodney Traweek, Mike Ditta, Mike Venable, Ashton Finley, Coalton Finley and Tommy Robinson.

Honorary pallbearers will be every boy or girl who ever had the honor of playing for ‘Doc’, any student who Doc helped learn the intricate rules of mathematics, any former coach or teacher who had the pleasure of coaching or teaching with Doc, his coffee group and his many bowling buddies.

REMEMBER TO WEAR A SPORTS TEAM SHIRT!!!!