Mr. Isaac Thomas Finley, Jr

Obituary For Mr. Isaac Thomas Finley, Jr

We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Mr. Isaac Thomas Finley, Jr. A Celebration of Life will be held on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 1:00 PM at Salem Bible Church 2283 Baker Road NW Atlanta, GA 30318. Interment will follow at Hillandale Memorial Garden 6201 Hillandale Dr Lithonia, GA 30058. Viewing will be held Monday, April 20, 2026 from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Grissom-Clark Funeral Home.

Isaac Thomas Finley Jr., the eldest of four children, was born to the late Nellie Mae and Isaac Thomas Finley on September 27, 1939, in Birmingham, Alabama. He transitioned peacefully on April 12, 2026.
His commitment to God began in his home in Birmingham and at Trinity Baptist Church where he worshiped with his family growing up.
After graduating from Ullman High School in 1956, Isaac attended Tuskegee University where he participated in ROTC and met his future wife, Betty Blackmon. In 1961, Isaac obtained a degree in Electronic Engineering and received a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the US Army Signal Corp. Soon after, he married Betty on June 27, 1964, and a month later was shipped overseas to Germany. Isaac even spent a year in Thailand where he helped prepare the Thai Army for deployment to Vietnam. He was awarded multiple medals and commendations for his service during that period. Eventually, they returned to the states and lived in Illinois, Missouri, and New Jersey.
After being honorably discharged from active duty in 1970, Isaac moved to Massachusetts to settle with Betty and raise their son, Michael. Isaac first worked for the Honeywell Corporation. A few years later he took a new job with Polaroid, where he would spend more than two decades managing and supervising various aspects of the company’s operations. He was a skilled facilitator who trained Polaroid employees around the country.
As Isaac learned to navigate corporate America, he also learned to survive winter in New England. He was a devoted member of the Greater Framingham Community Church (GFCC) where he was a Deacon and co-founder of the Men’s Christian Fellowship. In addition to GFCC, Isaac was a man of many skills and interests, from his proud service as Past Master of Mount Zion Lodge #15 F. & A.M. (Prince Hall Affiliation) to his decade long run as the Master of Ceremony for his bowling league’s Annual Variety Show to attending New England Patriot’s games as a season ticket holder.
In 1996, Isaac retired from Polaroid but not from life. He was a lifelong learner who enjoyed people. Working part time at Home Depot and British Airways to stay busy, he also started a side business helping people improve their job interview skills. Eventually, he worked as the building manager for the Martin Luther King Jr. Business Empowerment Center, a non-profit organization that helped small businesses.
Isaac and Betty returned South to Stone Mountain, Georgia in 2001 to escape the cold and be closer to family. Isaac played more golf and was busier than ever. He worked at the mall, became a travel agent, was President of his homeowner’s association and was heavily involved in local politics. As a self-described “Christian soldier,” Elder Finley devoted himself to the people at Salem Bible Church where he served on the Deacon Board, Elder Board, Growth Group and Mancave Men’s Ministry.
In recent years, Isaac was passionate about uniting the “Finley” family around family-owned land in Alabama. He served as the first President of H.C. Finley Property Enterprises, LLC, and worked until his last days to establish a path forward to maximize the land. (In this endeavor) More importantly, his passion was to bring the family together to benefit future generations that he knew he would never meet.
Truly enjoying life, Isaac was an avid golfer, loved stand-up comedy, playing cards and debating . . . about everything. Conversations with family, friends, neighbors, and people will be missed by all who knew him.
Isaac was predeceased by his loving wife of nearly 50 years, Betty (Blackmon) Finley; and is survived by their son Michael Finley, his spouse Tara Finley and Michael’s son, Brandon Finley.
Isaac is also survived by his daughter Ronitha Collins, and her children Michael (deceased), Mikeiya, Montriese and Mallory Collins.
He leaves his siblings, Marvin Finley and his wife Gwen and his sister, Carole Perry, his in laws Corene Blackmon, Rev. Ernestine Blackmon, James Blackmon and his wife Cheryl and his friend, Marilyn Hill.
He was predeceased by his sister, Yvonne Forbes. He is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, great-grandchildren, and friends.

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