Obituary

Van Henry Finch, Jr. was a perfect example of an optimist and someone who would always look on the bright side of everything. He was never a complainer and always positive. He was a giver. He gave his all to his family, his job, his friends, his church, and his maker. He had no enemies. He became a friend to all who knew him. He was very appreciative of his upbringing and was very proud of his heritage. He certainly enriched and helped make the proud Finch family name. He was a hard worker. He was a person who dressed well and was always neat in appearance. He took care of what he had and felt fortunate to have it. He was a very kind person and made everyone around him feel welcome. He also stood his ground when the time came. He was an easy person to love.

He was the son of Van Henry Finch and Alma Owens Finch. Bud was born and raised in Wilson County, North Carolina. During his childhood he learned to share, work, and be respectful. He found it easy to show sympathy and to perform kind acts for others. These admirable qualities would become a part of his personality throughout his life. He had eleven siblings : Laura, Jack, Douglas, Jean, Charles Elton, Franklin, Bobby, Kenneth, Jerry, Diane, and Nancy Carol. Nancy Carol only lived for one day. They cared deeply for one another, loved each other, and their parents. A closer family does not exist.

There was one thing that all of Bud's friends knew and will still remember......he was a good talker. He could pretty much talk to anybody about anything. This quality is one of the primary reasons that he was such a popular person throughout his life. But he was also dependable, loyal, and trustworthy. He maintained his own personal standards and his own personal values. He was very accepting of others. He had a lot of humor. He didn't hold back on laughter. He laughed loud and hard and he made it easy for others to want to join in the laughter and enjoy it with him.

Bud was a faithful and loving person. He married his childhood sweetheart, Clara, and they were happily married for 60 years until the day he died. He thanked the Lord for Clara out loud for others to hear.    He was blessed with two children, one son, Van Ray and one daughter, Clara Lucinda. He was also blessed with six grandchildren, Heather, Adam, Nickolas, Brandon, Jeremy, and Brookie. He also very much enjoyed and loved his great grandchildren - Austin, Lindsey, Dylan, Autumn, Landon, Logan, and Grace.

Bud also had another family.... the Stott family. Clara's mother and father, her two brothers, Bobby and Tommy and their families, and her sister, Betty Joyce and her family, were all a big part of his life. Bud was like a son to Clara's parents and like a brother to Clara's siblings. The entire Stott family was very special to him and they were very close.

Taking his work seriously came naturally to Bud, and he expected the same from those around him. He was a good team player, someone who was born to cooperate with others. He was what some would call a “people person” and it was demonstrated in his good communication skills. Bud was a steady worker. His primary occupation was household moving. Raleigh Bonded Warehouse, Hobby's Moving and Storage, and his own company- All American Moving & Storage were a big part of his life.. He brought harmony to his work environment, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done, while always maintaining respect for his colleagues. His motto was 'whatever it takes'.

He was a person who appreciated the military. He was in the U. S. Army National Guard from 1947 to 1959. He performed his duties well and was given an honorable discharge. He performed many flag folding ceremonies at military funeral services.

Bud also liked being a sports fan and enjoyed following his favorite players whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were NASCAR racing, basketball, baseball, and golf. He enjoyed playing golf, but enjoyed the people that he was playing with more than the game. Most of the time, there was laughter on the golf course when he was playing, and he had no desire to worry about his score or take the game too seriously. He also played and enjoyed card games, particularly 'setback' and 'canasta'. Laughter was also a big part of these card games.

In his later years, he was a member of the choir at St. James United Methodist Church and active in the Methodist Men.  His high moral standards and traditional values served Bud well with his faith. Religion and faith were important to him. In addition to his membership at St. James United Methodist Church, he also loved Evansdale United Methodist Church in Wilson. A generous and compassionate man, Bud accomplished much during his lifetime. Though he never set out to gain individual recognition, he was recognized for his many efforts throughout life. He was named North Carolina Mover of the Year in 1966.  In various functions that he attended throughout the years, he always seemed to have a winning number when it was came time to draw the lucky ticket for prizes.

He also enjoyed traveling, He enjoyed going to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. Favorite vacations included San Francisco, The Grand Ole Opry , the mountains of western North Carolina, and random cross country trips with Clara. He enjoyed 'brother day' when all of his brothers would take a small trip with no particular destination in mind.....just being together with plenty of laughter and good conversation didn't require a destination. He also enjoyed 'brother and sister ' day as well, when all of the siblings got together. Annual family reunions was also an event that he always looked forward to. It was an opportunity to see his immediate family and also family members and friends that he didn't get to see very often. He enjoyed helping with the pig cooking and enjoyed the good meal that followed.
      
Bud passed away on August 10, 2010 at home. He fought a brave battle against acute hemolytic anemia, and small cell lung cancer. He was a favorite patient of every doctor he had and every nurse that attended to him. Anyone who truly knew him, loved him, and won't ever forget him. He was a good son, husband, father, father in law, grandfather, great grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend and we will all miss you.