Reading all these wonderful tributes I have come to the realization that for my Dad his years and best contributions came after he "retired." Having recently retired, this brings me hope. I appreciate all who came to his memorial service at the Quaker Meeting House in Waynesville. I especially remember the words of Dr. David Small who testified that he was a believer in Jesus and lived in that light, demonstrating it through his actions. This was a great encouragement to me, a born again Christian, as I seek to please Christ with every endeavor of life. Dad never talked much about his faith, but after our family did a short term mission to Nepal, we saw a change in his life. He began to read the Bible. His mission work in China was a great blessing to him, and he had many great faith conversations with his Seventh Day Adventist colleagues at Run Run Shaw. Clark Hoffman, surgeon and missionary, had many good conversations about ultimate things with him as well. Dad gave me a book about the quest for the "real Mount Sinai" which I enjoyed. He loved the silent worship of the Quakers as a way to honor and reverance God. He was most comfortable with silent prayer. He confessed Jesus as the "Son of God" and was very offended when someone questioned whether he was truly committed to Christ. He was a "doer of the word" (James 1:22). He showed his faith by his works, (James 2:18, "Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.") Since Dad didn't discuss his faith in Christ much at all, I found myself crying out by his deathbed, "I wish you had told me if you belonged to Jesus." it was a real comfort to me that David Small testified about my Dad's faith in Christ. I was blessed to sit beside Dad's bed the night before he died; I got to read him several chapters from the book of John which seemed to bring him comfort and peace. The next morning Anna and I were together in his bedroom and realized that he was dead. I am so thankful that Jesus alone is judge of the living and the dead; God the Father gives that role exclusively to him. As the Messianic Jewish believers say, my father, may his name be blessed, lived a life of faith in Jesus Christ.

Dr.Bob will always be in our heart.
Time is passing fast.
I year gone since he parted with us.
We pray for his soul to rest in eternal peace.
We pray for the family to cherish his good memories.
Regards to Anna & family.

In Hangzhou, when the little white  Osmanthus ( Gui Hua) Flowers is blooming, Bob comes. When the beautiful Welcome Spring flowers ( Ying Chun Hua) is dropping , he leaves. These two flowers have lots of memories and stories of   us. Every time, I pass the Osmanthus tree, smell the sweet flowers, there is a lovely smile face there, it is Dr Finley, Bob. He said to me, ‘ You are smart’. ‘ You have a beautiful big smile.’ ‘I like your family’. There are lots lots of conversations we had, I remember his encouragement which help me build my confidence. I believe he is always there. Miss him.

Dr. Bob Finley was a man of integrity, not materialistic, a good man- I would say a holy man.
I managed the retirement plan for Drs Finley & Miller and Dr. Finley performed a subtotal thyroidectomy on me in 1977.
It was after he retired that I really got to know him.
So many memories.
We have a group of friends from St. Charles that have been getting together on the first Friday of every month for 55 years. Once I invited Dr. Finley to speak to our group about his experiences in China.
Bob came to our house for dinner a number of times on his motorcycle.
On 9/11 Bob invited my wife, Carol, and I to have dinner at his home with Ben and Miriam Schuster.
Our son ,Brian biked while in college and encouraged me to kike with a group for 40 or 80 miles. My bike had one gear, I had no bike pants. After 25 miles my butt was so sore I had to keep stopping. I went 40 miles while Brian and Bob went 80 miles.
Bob and I attended the ATP tennis tournament every year meting in Middletown.
Once Carol rode to the tennis with Bob in his smart car.
My first email was to Bob in China.
Carol and I visited bob a few times in his last years.
Bob always sent thank you notes for every occasion.
A grandchild once asked bob if he was saved.
Yes indeed

Dr. Finley,
You always spoke with me, not at me. We first met when Lisa (Anna) brought me home for lunch. We were in 7th & 8th grades and just testing to see if our friendship had lasting possibilities! I remember you as smiling, mischievous, and always with a twinkle of high intelligence in your eyes. It was so cool that you enjoyed ice cream, sporty cars, and motorcycles as a surgeon. At some point during high school, I managed to take the mirror off one of your cars learning to back out of the garage. You saw it as the cost of learning and did not make me feel like the dunce I certainly felt like in the moment. There was a Father-Daughter Dance that we all shared and I wished my father would make an effort to make you a friend. I am forever grateful that you gave the world your daughter, Anna. She is deeply spiritual, devotedly creative, profoundly loving and so very authentic in all that she does and takes on. Over the years, I have come to see that many of her strengths (dutifulness, bravery, searching for divine connection, reinvention, and making the world a better place) have come through her father. Through moves to London, NYC, upstate NY, and Seattle, you gave her room and wings to be herself. When she returned to Ohio, I was so grateful to have 12 years of raising all of our children in closer proximity. My sons, Gabriel and Vincent Lee grew to think of you as a grandfather presence. Your encouragement and generous support of my Lance's efforts to take on medical school in his early 30s changed the course of our lives. You were always there, always asking how it was going, always reminding Lance that it is an honor to be called on to care for patients. As the years passed and you shifted from practicing medicine to inspiring the next generation, I continued to grow in respect for you because at each step you were able to transition with grace from doer to teacher. Your China chapter was remarkable, adventurous and so wonderfully out-of-the-box! Even to the end, you engaged with curiosity and insisted on getting your walks in. I love the courage it took to live this last chapter with Anna's family. In the end, it is our family and our friendships that reveal a life well lived. You left a message of dedication, growth, continuous learning, helping others, giving back, supporting family, encouraging the physicians coming behind you, enjoying life, openness to other cultures, and fast rides. Thank you for being you fully.

I worked in Dr. Finley's office at Miami Valley Hospital for approx. 5 yrs. in the 70's. As a young women just joining the workforce he gave me my first "real job". Not knowing very much about medicine, he was very kind to give me the opportunity to learn and eventually become an asset to his practice. I always had to chuckle to myself when changing out his lab coats for the day there was ALWAYS an empty bag of M&M's in the pocket and sometimes 2!!!
We became good friends following each others various travels. His letters, postcards and eventually emails were always the most descriptive and detailed and made me feel as if I was there, in Africa, China or riding a bike through Europe. 
It is sad not to receive his phone calls and I will miss his friendship. Rest in peace Dr. Finley, you are missed. 

Dr. Robert K. Finley was a giant in my eyes. He was always professional, and could contribute to the solutions. Dr. Finley left such a legacy-- including helping to set up the Burn Unit at Miami Valley Hospital, and educating surgical residents and medical students. His contributions to our community are many, and he will be missed. 

I’ve always felt a strong connection to my grandfather, in part because I share the same initials with him and my dad. My fondest memories of my grandfather were at his farm in Oregonia, Ohio. I lived at the farm for a few months when I was young and when I started my career as an occupational therapist. I loved our oatmeal breakfasts together. We would watch storms roll in from the porch on hot July days and pick raspberries, tomatoes, and corn from his garden. I remember planting trees with him on the farm and riding the tractor home. Some days we would walk through the woods to the creek and look for fossils and box turtles.

My grandfather was ambitious yet humble. He actively practiced compassion and acceptance of all people regardless of age, beliefs, culture, gender, race, and ethnicity. It wasn’t until later in life that I realized he co-founded the burn center at Miami Valley Hospital and became professor emeritus of surgery at Wright State University. He committed his life after retirement to teaching surgery and service around the world. He had the courage to help in the face of horrendous tragedy and provided healthcare to communities after the genocide of the Tutsi group in Rwanda. We were pen pals when he taught surgery in Kenya. I was so delighted to receive his letters! He carefully picked out stickers for each hand-written note and even sent me a preserved lizard (my request as a 7-year-old was for an “alive” lizard but I loved it anyway). I remember when my family visited him in Hangzhou, China, and we walked part of the Great Wall together. He modeled the importance of giving back, being connected to a community, and loving your neighbor.

My grandfather was adventurous and rode his motorcycle for as long as he could, well into his ‘70s and perhaps beyond. He was incredibly progressive and forward-thinking—he even bought a SMART car. He believed in taking risks and trusted me to make good decisions. He was there when I needed him the most. He told me, “It’s not always the smartest or the most talented people who are successful, but the ones who persevere and show up.” I would not be where I am today without him. I miss him dearly and will forever hold his memory in my heart.

You were a dear friend,
When we first met, we barely understood each other;
Yet you were always there and you listened;
You were a mentor,
When you knew I had a dream, you were excited like no other;
So you encouraged and you guided;
You were family,
When I was alone in a foreign land; frustrated; and wanted to go no further;
Nonetheless you adopted me in as one of your own;
You called me an Irish,
Because that was who you were;
You cheered me on every step of the way,
Because you believed in what I was capable of;
You walked me down the aisle,
Because we were like father like daughter,
Words cannot express how much I miss you and will miss you;
However, you taught me strong enough to carry on;
And I am confident that I will see your face again.

Bob was a surgical innovator and mentor to so many. I will be ever grateful to the support he gave me starting as a young surgeon and throughout my professional career. His influence is ongoing as his mentees continue to pay it forward. 

Respected Dear Dr.Bob,
We are missing you greatly as you would be 98 years today.
We are greatly blessed as you were a father figure
to us since you came to Kenya to work at Lugulu mission hospital.
You always kept in touch wherever you went after
Your work in Kenya.
We were lucky to host you at our house in London & Cork (Ireland) .
We were blessed by your presence at our daughter Sejal's wedding.
We really enjoyed our time with your family when we visited your house near Dayton.
We pray almighty to rest your soul in eternal peace and give strength to your family to bear your great loss.
We once more thank Anna and family for keeping in contact with us.
Regards to all.
Best Wishes from,
Dr.Suresh Patel & Pam.

Right now… words are not suffice it to express my sorrow. The idea that Dr Finley or Bob, has gone forever still feels too unreal , too raw…He would have been 98 today. Few weeks ago , I was still contemplating birthday presents….

Thanks to his generosity, lifetime mentorship and friendship- I was able to pursue my dream of becoming a physician and person I am today. May his legacy inspires and benefits generations to come.

In lieu of flowers, cards, birthday presents-please give gift of life in loving memory of an extraordinary family man, surgeon/physician, mentor, teacher, inventor and friend…https://webapp2.wright.edu/online-giving/give.php?site=ADV&action=get_form

Cady , Dr Xue Yan, Jiang (UK).

Bob, thanks for the memories.

Indeed, these words before me ring true. I only made his acquaintance a few years ago and realized rather quickly that Dr. Finley was an accomplished fellow. But over the long haul I discovered that, above all, he was a human being who knew how to treat others. His awareness of others guided by his compassion was for him a daily guide.

May his journey be blessed by the one who made him, the one known as the most forgiving and caring maker of all.

I worked with Dr. Finley at Miami Valley Hospital for many years in surgery. He was a favorite of mine. His soft spoken voice and tone immediately demonstrated his kindness and compassion. While we were scrubbed in a case I would always ask him to say, "Go ahead, make my day." because he sounded like Clint Eastwood when he said it. He would just laugh. lol He loved riding his bike. He loved teaching. I loved working with him except for the heat in the room during the burn cases. It had to be 90° and it was brutal when you were in all your scrub attire, but it had to be done. I learned a lot from Dr. Finley. He was an exceptional man, a wonderful teacher and mentor to many.Condolences to his family.

I worked with Dr. Finley for ten years on the Burn Unit at Miami Valley Hospital. He was a kind, gentle man and a leader of many. The Burn Unit was his legacy and continues to serve many people. It was an honor to know him. May his memory be eternal. 

As a family member I am biased. All of us who have relatives have our favorites and Robert Finley was one of mine. He and my late father (another Robert) were first cousins and born a year apart. Over the years I heard tales from their youth including the occasional travels they took together with their parents. My memories of Robert go back to the early 1960's with family gatherings at "the farm". He was always kind and interested and patient with me. I always appreciated his sense of humor. In our later years we occasioned to visit together a few times and from those rare visits I was reminded of how rooted my family was in decency. In his final years he took special care and interest in my brother, Peter, for which I am grateful. All of us who knew Robert Kent Finley, Jr. are enriched and better for it.
Larry Landaker
Austin, TX

in lieu of flowers, a program fund in Dr. Finley's memory is being created at Wright State University for the Boonshoft School of Medicine's Department of Surgery. Memorial gifts can be made online at wright.edu/give/finleymemorial or by mail to Wright State University Foundation, 3640 Colonel Glenn Highway, Dayton, OH 45435. If you have questions, please contact Nicki Crellin with Wright State at 937-245-7634.

Doc Finley was a great resident of Wayne Township. He was involved and out spoken on issues he believed in. Always a true gentleman and very loving and caring. I considered him a true mentor, friend and a man of great wisdom. I cherish all of the great conversations we had over the years that help mold me into a better person.
A Friend that lives in my heart.
Gus Edwards
Wayne Township Administrator

I met Dr Finley while I was a medical student on an away rotation in China. His gentle demeanor and kind influence can still be felt decades later and thousands of miles away. I feel blessed to have met him.