Therese Londrey (née) Finlay passed away peacefully November 22, 2020 at Highland Park Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Wellsville, NY, after an extended illness.
Therese was born in Syracuse, NY on July 12, 1930 to Barbara (Covich) Londrey and Franklin Londrey, and raised throughout the depression and WWII surrounded by her extended family. In 1951 Therese graduated as a Registered Nurse from Crouse Irving Memorial Hospital’s School of Nursing. She went on to work in the Veteran’s Administration hospital in Dayton, OH and held many roles, including working in the recovery room, one of the first organized. She then returned to Syracuse and worked at Crouse-Irving and the Veteran’s Administration hospital as a general duty and operating room nurse. After returning to her hometown she met, and on August 18, 1956, married Peter S. Finlay. Peter had just completed his Ph. D. at Syracuse University, and had agreed to a one-year contract to teach biology at Alfred University. Therese and Peter were a modern couple ahead of their time who started early negotiating the differences between Catholicism and Episcopal Christianity between their extended family members at the time of their marriage.
After moving to Alfred, Therese worked initially at Bethesda Memorial Hospital as an operating room supervisor in Hornell, and then subsequently at the Alfred village office of Robert Eisenhardt, MD. Therese worked part time at Dr. Eisenhardt’s office to take care of her growing three children and husband, who spent many hours at the lab.
Therese was very active with Peter and their children. The family went on many camping trips together traveling most of the Northeast and Southeast part of the US by car and a tent trailer. The camping trips involved hiking, canoeing, birdwatching and seeing many beautiful natural places, as well as all of the creatures and plants therein. Later Therese and Peter would visit their grown children, who were spread around the US in Boston, Phoenix and San Diego.
Therese grew up with cats and always loved them. When her children were growing up, the family had several dogs since Peter favored them, but eventually a cat was integrated into the family. After that the family always had at least one cat. Therese said everything could be made better if you had a kitty in your lap.
Therese and Peter were avid gardeners. There were always flowers for each season, as well as a large vegetable garden at their home. Therese and Peter were ecologically minded. They had property out past Five Corners, on which they had a soil and water conversation plan drawn up. In the 1970s, Therese and Peter planted 1,000 pine trees on this property. This stand can now be seen on Google Maps.
During her tenure with Dr. Eisenhardt, Therese went to Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse to study for the newly enacted position of Nurse Practitioner. In 1977, she was one of the first people in New York state to achieve that license. Her license was number 14 in the state. In the 1980s, Therese participated in an integrative medicine program with Indian Health Services in Arizona and New Mexico. It was here that she developed a love for the desert Southwest and developed many professional and personal friendships. The Native Americans she met in the desert Southwest further informed her spirituality and allowed her to integrate her life experiences as an independent clinical professional, wife and mother. In 1980, Therese completed her BS in Nursing at Alfred University. She continued to work with Dr. Eisenhardt until he retired and closed his office. After that, Therese worked for the health services for both Alfred University and SUNY Alfred, as well as the American Heart Association and Amity Medical Center. She particularly enjoyed the time she spent at the SUNY campus in Wellsville. Therese was a role model for younger nurses and encouraged them to further their education, if that was their goal. Her co-workers said she was a great colleague. Therese finished up her career working for Allegany County providing women’s health services.
In retirement, both Therese and Peter traveled extensively on their own throughout the United States and with Elderhostel. They were long-time, active members of the Allegany County Bird Club. They
also ventured outside of the US to the Galapagos Islands and down the Rhine River on a cruise.
Therese was an active member of the Union University Church and volunteered in many ways from making items for the annual bazaar to teaching Sunday school.
In July of 1996, Therese took week-long tour of pueblo country around North and Central New Mexico with some former associates from Northern Arizona University. She already knew much of the culture of the different pueblos, but on this tour, she learned much more and wrote fondly of her journey and all of the people she met along the way. Therese spent many winters in the Southwest to escape the cold. She especially loved summer and warm weather, and to spend time with numerous Native American acquaintances she had made on previous trips, as well as her son, Timothy who lives there. She also traveled in England and Ireland with her sister. Therese was a voracious reader of all genres of literature, another passion she shared with Peter. She was also a long-time participant in Harvard University’s nurses’ health study.
Therese was predeceased by her husband of 61 years, her parents and a beloved sister. She is survived by three children, Judith of San Diego, CA, Timothy of Tucson, AZ and Douglas of Allston, MA. At Therese’s request there will be a small family service, and burial will be beside Peter at the Alfred Rural Cemetery at the convenience of the family. Donations in lieu of flowers can be sent to the Allegany County Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Funeral arrangements entrusted to the Bender-Brown & Powers Funeral Home of Hornell. To send a remembrance please visit www.brownandpowersfuneralhomes.com or on Facebook @brownpowersfh, the family is being assisted by director Chester A. Gosper IV.
