Cornelia Finney of Southampton died at Southampton Hospital on December 5. She was 78.
Born on October 8, 1933, in Goochland County, Virginia, to Aubrey and Rosa Mealy. In 1943 the family moved to Moorstown, New Jersey, and finally to Southold in 1946. At an early age, Ms. Finney was baptized and joined the Unity Baptist Church in Mattituck.
She attended Southold schools and graduated from high school in 1952. She went on to graduate from the Brown’s Business School in Jamaica with a degree in secretarial bookkeeping. At a house party she met her future husband, Lawrence M. Finney, and they married on July 24, 1955, at the Unity Baptist Church. They had three sons.
For many years, Ms. Finney worked as a bookkeeper for New London Freight Lines, H.E. Swezey Trucking in Eastport, Bennett Motors in Southampton, and the Todd Nursing Home, also in Southampton. Later she worked for Health Services At Home Inc., from which she retired.
In 1952, she became a member of the gospel chorus at the First Baptist Church of Bridgehampton, and later the Sisterhood, the Silver Leaf Club, and the Senior Missionary Society. She was a faithful member of the church until her health prevented her from attending.
She is survived by her husband of 56 years, Lawrence M. Finney Sr.; two sons, Michael Timothy Finney and Jonathan Otha Finney and his wife Shireen all of Southampton; siblings, Aubrey Finney Jr. of Southold, Otha Mealy of Mattituck and Wendell Mealy of Greenport, Bernice Daniels of Amityville and Priscilla Mealy of Queens; sisters-in-law, Ersula Stephens of Queens, Eleanor Mealy of Peconic and Florida Mealy of Greenport; a brother-in-law, Curtis Finney of Syracuse; two granddaughters, Jennifer and Ine Finney; a goddaughter, Barbara Leathers; and a host of nieces, nephews and friends. She was predeceased by her oldest son, Lawrence M. Finney Jr., a brother Frank Mealy; siblings-in-law, Helen Gilliam, Dorothy Mealy, and the Reverend Rufus Daniels.
Visitation was held on Saturday, December 10, at the First Baptist Church of Bridgehampton, followed by a memorial service; the Reverend Frank Bryant officiated. Interment was at Southampton Cemetery. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of the Brockett Funeral Home in Southampton.
on Dec 13, 2011