May 24, 2017
Page 15
Obituary
In Loving Memory
B. J. Finleybranch
B.J. Finleybranch suffered a heart
attack on April 27, 2017 and on May 3,
2017 slipped into the arms of the Lord
Our Savior while surrounded by friends
and family.
A memorial service will be held Sat-
urday, June 3 at 2 p.m. at the Madeleine
Parish Fireside Room, 3123 N.E. 24th Ave. Follow-
ing the ceremony, friends and family are invited to
celebrate and reminisce at McMenamins-Kennedy
School, 5736 N.E. 33rd Are.
Finleybranch was born on April 11, 1948 in New
York City to Inez Brown and Westly Finley. Fol-
lowing the death of her mother, she was raised by
her maternal aunt Lesley Warren, later attending and
graduating from the High School of Commerce in
Manhattan.
She married Harrison Branch Sr. and it was
through that union that her only son, Harrison, was
born. The family lived in various cities across the
country, including New York, New Haven, Conn. and
San Francisco before finally settling in Corvallis.
Following a divorce, she moved to Salem where
she went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree
in corrections from Colegio Caesar Chavez in Mt.
Angel in 1977. She then earned an academic fel-
lowship and studied at Baruch College in New York
City.
She had a long career in state and county govern-
ment, including work as a corrections officer at the
Lane County Jail in Eugene; serving an investigator
for the Bureau of Labor Industries; as a certification
manager for the state of Oregon; and holding posi-
tions with the Oregon Youth Authority; Parole and
Probation in Vancouver and Clackamas
County.
Anyone who knew her knew she was an
advocate who always taught and encour-
aged individuals to stand up for their rights.
She was fearless when it came to fighting for
social, legal, civil and political injustices. In
1980, she was appointed chairperson to Or-
egon’s Commission on Black Affairs by the
late Gov. Victor Atiyeh.
She was very spiritual and enjoyed cooking, fish-
ing, camping and going to the beach. She enjoyed
watching her favorite movies and TV shows like
Downtown Abbey and The Big Bang Theory. She
also raised several four footed family members that
she loved dearly, including Grizzly, Symone, Liam
and Kacio (recently adopted).
She was a volunteer on the Multnomah Coun-
ty Citizen Involvement Committee; vice chair of
Elders in Action; and served at several Catholic
parishes, including Madeleine, where she was a
member, and St. Charles and St. Andrew, also in
northeast Portland. She was also a past member of
Sigma Gamma Pho Sorority. Inc.
She was preceded in death by her parents; ma-
ternal aunt Rebecca Cobb; maternal uncle Norman
Brown; and beloved pets Grizzly and Symone.
She leaves to mourn her passing, son Harrison
Branch, his wife Annisa, and grandchildren Rianna,
Nyah and Dylan Branch of Oregon; sister Michelle
Hardy and her husband Emanuel of Westbury, N.Y.;
maternal aunt Lesley Warren of Holly Hill, S.C.; pa-
ternal aunt Jane Rienzie and her husband Louis of
Columbia, S.C.; as well as a host of cousins, other
family members and friends who loved her.
Cremation services have been provided by Farn-
strom Mortuary in Corvallis.
In Loving Memory
Charles “Joyce” Clardy
Charles “Joyce” Clardy died May 6, 2017. She was born Oct. 16, 1942 in Jersey,
Ark., to Sterling Hampton and Maxcine Johnson.
She graduated from Manual High and Voca-
tional School in Kansas City, Mo., and moved
to Portland, in 1966 to further her education.
She worked a number of odd jobs before land-
ing a permanent position with Oregon Adult
and Family Services, where she retired after
35 years of service. She was a loyal steward of
First A.M.E. Zion Church.
Funeral services will be held Wednesday, May 31 at 11 a.m. at First
A.M.E. Zion. A public viewing will take place one day prior, on Tues-
day, May 30 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Terry Family Funeral Home.
For more information, visit terryfamilyfuneralhome.com or call
503-249-1788.
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