April Dawn Finlay

April Dawn Finlay, 58 of Emporia, Kansas died Wednesday, January 2, 2019 at Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka from small cell cancer.

April was born June 15, 1960 in El Dorado, Kansas, the daughter of Robert LeRoy and Marian Lucille Hamilton Finlay.  In 1962 the family moved to Emporia after her father took a position as meat market manager with Safeway.

April attended Mary Herbert Elementary, Lowther Jr. High and graduated from Emporia High School in 1978.  She attended ESU and graduated from FHA Vo-Tech Office Occupations class.  She was hired as a secretary for Beech Aircraft and moved to Wichita in 1979.  April returned to Emporia after aircraft lay-offs and took a position in 1982 as Executive Secretary at Columbia Savings.  She was later employed as a secretary with the Emporia Chamber of Commerce, New York Life Insurance Company and Professional Services phone answering company.  April was hired into the family business, BPE Inc., in 1992 (and Jerky Shooter in 1995), eventually becoming General Manager, Corporate Secretary-Treasurer and a minor stockholder.  This fulfilled her desire to work side by side with her parents.

While living in Wichita April married Raymond Espinosa; they later divorced.  After returning to Emporia, April married classmate Jim Calvert; they later divorced.  April met the love of her life in 1994 and was married January 31, 1997 to Aaron C. Davis at Cornerstone Baptist Church.  He survives.  Other survivors include her father, Bob Finlay of Emporia; son Adam Calvert and partner Penny Mains of Emporia, daughter Brandi Calvert and partner Jorge Sosa of Ft. Myers, FL, and daughter Erinn Calvert of Erie, PA, granddaughters Elana Calvert of Erie, PA and Oliva Pucylowski of Heath, TX; and sister Amber Crowl and her husband Cliff of Oxford, KS.  April was preceded in death by her mother, Marian Finlay

As a young child April was baptized at Grace Methodist Church and became a member at age 13.  She always had a love for God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Bible.  She enjoyed learning through reading commentaries, sermons, and biblical and general non-fiction history books.  In later years, April served as deaconess at Sardis Congregational Church, Welsh Auxiliary of the American Bible Society Treasurer, and Greenwood Cemetery Board Secretary.

April was a Girl Scout member totaling 25 years, as a student and adult.  She was a Jr. Girl Scout leader of Troop 22, Walnut Elementary.  April has very fond memories of teaching and leading young scouts, especially spending time on 2 and 3 day primitive camping trips.  April enjoyed being outdoors in the warmer seasons.  She firmly believed that using a push mower was the best choice for yard work.  She carried a 5 gallon bucket with tools, but her favorites were loppers, hedge trimmers and a chain saw – those were for trees and bushes.  Most other trimming was the easy way – weed killer in a 2 gallon sprayer.

April had a passion for decorating the interior of her house and barn.  She usually repainted one room every 2 to 3 years in a different color.  Her dad often joked that if a tornado struck the house, that it would remain standing due to the layers of paint on the walls.  She also changed all interior decorations and pictures appropriate to each season and every holiday, but her favorite was sharing her love of decorating for the Christmas season.  Along with decorating came collecting and refinishing furniture.  She was always on the hunt for a furniture bargain for later use.

April was well known for being assertive, decisive and outspoken.  She frequently sent letters or cards expressing her thoughts and beliefs.  She enjoyed long, deep one-on-one conversations with family and friends about life, God, personal choices, politics, finances and relationships.  She believed her life was complete in her roles as wife, daughter and mother.  April was prepared to meet her Savior in heaven which provided her great comfort and peace.

Cremation is planned.  Memorial services will be at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 9, 2019 at Roberts-Blue-Barnett Funeral Home.  Interment will be at Greenwood Cemetery immediately following.  Visitation will be held from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Tuesday night at the funeral home.  In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to either MDA (Muscular Dystrophy Association) or the Emporia Christian School Scholarship Fund in care of the funeral home.