Changes

== School board service ==

== School board service ==

Finley was an original UISD board member, having served from the founding of the district in 1961 until 1993. The district was created by the merging of three small districts, Cactus, Johnson, and Nye, within the still existing Webb Consolidated Independent School District, based in Bruni], Texas. At the time, the City of Laredo was served only by the Laredo Independent School District. In time, the northern half of Laredo came under the UISD. Along with Amparo Gutierrez and John W. Arndt,Finley is considered part of the "Big Three" of UISD, with a school named for each.<ref name=rodriguez>Cesar G. Rodriguez, "UISD founder dies: Rancher Joe Finley helped make district happen", ''Laredo Morning Times'', September 11, 2011, pp. 1, 11A.</ref>

Finley was an original UISD board member, having served from the founding of the district in 1961 until 1993. The district was created by the merging of three small districts, Cactus, Johnson, and Nye, within the still existing Webb Consolidated Independent School District, based in Bruni, Texas. At the time, the City of Laredo was served only by the Laredo Independent School District. In time, the northern half of Laredo came under the UISD. Along with Amparo Gutierrez and John W. Arndt,Finley is considered part of the "Big Three" of UISD, with a school named for each.<ref name=rodriguez>Cesar G. Rodriguez, "UISD founder dies: Rancher Joe Finley helped make district happen", ''Laredo Morning Times'', September 11, 2011, pp. 1, 11A.</ref>

UISD began with 340 pupils in grades one through nine; by the time of Finley's death, the district had 41,000 students. The district adopted the bilingual program at a time when Texas state law forbade the use of [[Spanish]] in publicschools. According to his daughter, Alicia Finley Richter, Finley "felt very strongly that children should speak both languages."<ref name=georgiou/> After his thirty-two years as a UISD trustee, Finley maintained a continuing interest in the district. Inthe late 1990s, his namesake Finley Elementary School was named a National Blue Ribbon School. Finley was present for the opening of the new United High School in 2009 and the 50th anniversary celebration of the establishmentof UISD earlier in 2011.<ref name=georgiou/>

UISD began with 340 pupils in grades one through nine; by the time of Finley's death, the district had 41,000 students. The district adopted the bilingual program at a time when Texas state law forbade the use of [[Spanish]] in publicschools. According to his daughter, Alicia Finley Richter, Finley "felt very strongly that children should speak both languages."<ref name=georgiou/> After his thirty-two years as a UISD trustee, Finley maintained a continuing interest in the district. In the late 1990s, his namesake Finley Elementary School was named a National Blue Ribbon School. Finley was present for the opening of the new United High School in 2009 and the 50th anniversary celebration of the establishmentof UISD earlier in 2011.<ref name=georgiou/>

Then UISD Superintendent Roberto J. Santos said that Finley as a board member "would always look after the taxpayers and make sure we had a balanced budget and ensure people were held accountable for every penny spent."<ref name=georgiou/>

Then UISD Superintendent Roberto J. Santos said that Finley as a board member "would always look after the taxpayers and make sure we had a balanced budget and ensure people were held accountable for every penny spent."<ref name=georgiou/>

Finley was married for fifty-two years to the former Edith Mary Grinnan, who survives him. His five daughters, in addition to Alicia Richter, the widow of Edward Richter, Jr., are Ana Maria Finley, Amanda Finley Lasater and husband, Lee, Mary Joe Finley Crannyand her husband, Jim, and Amy Finley Fischer, and her husband, Jeff, the latter the parents of Finley's three grandchildren.<ref name=georgiou/> Finley died at the age of eighty-seven at a hospital in [[Corpus Christi]]. Services wereheld on September 14 at Blessed Sacrament [[Roman Catholic]] Church in Laredo. Interment was in the Masonic section of the Laredo City Cemetery.<ref>"Joe Bartlett Finley, Jr., ''Laredo Morning Times'', September 14, 2011, p. 13A.</ref>

Finley was married for fifty-two years to the former Edith Mary Grinnan, who survives him. His five daughters, in addition to Alicia Richter, the widow of Edward Richter, Jr., are Ana Maria Finley, Amanda Finley Lasater and husband, Lee, Mary Joe Finley Crannyand her husband, Jim, and Amy Finley Fischer, and her husband, Jeff, the latter the parents of Finley's three grandchildren.<ref name=georgiou/> Finley died at the age of eighty-seven at a hospital in [[Corpus Christi]]. Services wereheld on September 14 at Blessed Sacrament [[Roman Catholic]] Church in Laredo. Interment was in the Masonic section of the Laredo City Cemetery.<ref>"Joe Bartlett Finley, Jr., ''Laredo Morning Times'', September 14, 2011, p. 13A.</ref>

Finley was so highly regarded in his community that the ''Laredo Morning Times'' covered his funeral on the front page. C. J. Tillinghast, a pastor of First United Methodist Church in Cotulla, Texas,, said that Finley was "one of thosepeople who made a difference in everyone's life. He will be missed by all of us."<ref name=finley>Nick Georgiou, "Mass, funeral for UISD founder, ''Laredo Morning Times'', September 15, 2011, pp. 1, 12A.</ref> Finley's daughter, Ana Marie, said that her fatherwas "the epitome of service beyond self ... His service to the Texas Association of School Boards just proved that the path to personal fulfillment isn't always necessarily paved with personal gain."<ref name=finley/>

Finley was so highly regarded in his community that the ''Laredo Morning Times'' covered his funeral on the front page. C. J. Tillinghast, a pastor of First United Methodist Church in Cotulla, Texas, said that Finley was "one of thosepeople who made a difference in everyone's life. He will be missed by all of us."<ref name=finley>Nick Georgiou, "Mass, funeral for UISD founder, ''Laredo Morning Times'', September 15, 2011, pp. 1, 12A.</ref> Finley's daughter, Ana Marie, said that her fatherwas "the epitome of service beyond self ... His service to the Texas Association of School Boards just proved that the path to personal fulfillment isn't always necessarily paved with personal gain."<ref name=finley/>

== References ==

== References ==