In loving memory of Carol Haynes-Finch - Obituary Baldwin Brothers

Obituary

Carol L. Haynes-Finch passed away on Sunday April 21, 2019 while in hospice at Mt Dora, FL. Her children were by her side in her final moments, telling her how much she was loved and will be missed.

She was born on Feb 12, 1934 in Pittsburgh, PA to parents Ralph and Edith Haynes. Her family moved to Richland, WA in Dec 1944, and she graduated from Columbia (now Richland) High School in 1951. Carol attended Washington State University in Pullman, WA where she became a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. After 2 years Carol and fellow student Robert Rolfs were married, and both returned to classes for another year until Bob’s graduation and commissioning in the USAF.. Their 1^st child, Jeff was born in their 2^nd year of marriage, and 2 months later they were assigned to a US Air Force base in Alabama. Soon after they returned to Larsen AFB (Moses Lake), WA, where 2 daughters- Connie and Becky- were added to the family. It wasn’t long before the family was on the road again–to Morocco, France, North Dakota, California, St. Louis, Illinois, California again (while her husband was in Viet Nam), Hawaii and Wash DC where the marriage ended after 24 years.

Carol remained in the North West DC area and began a 20-year career as an admin and executive secretary for 3 different companies- finally retiring in Feb 1999. During that time Carol had met, and then married, Carl Finch, of Kingston, NY. Shortly afterwards they moved to Palm Harbor FL, where they enjoyed a long and happy retirement.

Through the years Carol had attended Minot State College (ND) and University of Hawaii, took an active interest in the AF Officers Wives Club activities, Genealogy clubs, various church activities and her children’s school’s PTAs. Family was very important to Carol and she remained close to her parents and her one sibling, Donald Haynes of Vashon Island, WA, who all predeceased her. Her husband Carl passed away in 2017. Carol is survived by her 3 children, Jeff, Connie, and Becky, their spouses and 4 grandchildren. She is also survived by a niece and 2 nephews, and numerous cousins.

Anyone who knew Carol would agree that she was so funny, optimistic and easy-going about things in general. She could carry on a conversation with anyone, and often did in an office waiting room or grocery store lines. She loved to read romance novels and has a collection of them that would stock a bookstore. She also kept up on current events by poring over her newspaper from cover to cover, after which she felt it was her duty to complete EVERY crossword puzzle for that issue. She enjoyed shopping, particularly at Publix because they had the best cinnamon oatmeal cookies. She was a good cook who was not above using her delicious recipes for Cowboy Caviar and Lemon Coffee Cake to bribe family and friends for the latest gossip. She loved to watch rugby and soccer, as well as any scientific documentary. She had a feisty personality and was always willing to give her opinion. She did not like being told what to do, including wearing her hearing aids! Despite her tendency toward stubbornness, she was a loving, caring person, full of sympathy and empathy for others. She loved her kids more than anything, but any cat that crossed her path came in a very close second. In her last hours, while she was feeling comfortable and tucked in bed, she said, ”All I need now is a cat.”.

We strongly feel her absence, especially at those times when we have all been together and yet she is not with us. I know we would have been on the phone or out to dinner with her, telling her all the things that are going on. She did not want to have a formal service or any kind of fuss; in lieu of that we are sure she would love to know that her friends and family made donations to a charity of their choice in her name.