Clyde Walter Fincher

Clyde Walter Fincher, 85, of Marlow, Oklahoma, passed away Tuesday, March 6, 2018, at the Veterans Home in Yountville, California due to complications from Alzheimer's.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, April 7, at Callaway-Smith Cobb Funeral Home and Cremation Service, 415 W. Main, Marlow, OK, 73055. Ron Maxfield will be officiating. Burial will follow at Marlow Cemetery, 903 North Ash Street, Marlow, Oklahoma.

Clyde was born on August 17, 1932, in Marlow, Oklahoma to Mary Alice and Roy W. Fincher. He sold newspapers and worked at the local movie theatre, was first chair Trombone player in AllState, then graduated from Marlow High School in 1950, attended Cameron College and had a dance band with his cousin, Bobby Gus Fincher. On his birthday in 1948, Clyde became the youngest licensed pilot in the United States, was a pilot for Clay Johnson Flyer Service in Lawton, until enlisting in the USAF July 2, 1952, attending Aviation Cadets Training (Tiger Program) at Bainbridge AFB in Georgia. On June 27, 1954, he married the former Grace Lambert of Bainbridge, Georgia. The marriage ended in divorce after 35 years of marriage, but a long friendship gave testament to their commitment to their family.

Clyde trained in Multi-Engine Aircraft at Reese AFB, and Jets at Bryan AFB. He was stationed in Japan, flying missions to Korea. He returned as a Partner to Clay Johnson Flyer Service until he joined the FAA, first as an Air Traffic Controller, then shifting into Computer Programming. Clyde worked with fellow programmers on “Conflict Alert,” an alarm system that saves millions of lives in commercial flights across the U.S. Clyde loved boats, scuba diving, and was capable of repairing anything he set his mind to. After retirement in 1988, Clyde studied hard and received his A&P Mechanic’s License. He enjoyed buying small planes, fixing them up, flying them and selling them. He retired to Crystal River, FL, a place the family had vacationed throughout his career. He also maintained a small cabin on Lake Humphreys, flying his Cessna 172 in between the two homes seasonally. He made friends and had extended family everywhere he went. He starred in a national AT&T Commercial while visiting California in 1993. He took dancing lessons in Florida, and loved cutting a rug! He was active in the VFW and American Legion in Oklahoma, marching many times in the July 4 parades. When in Marlow, you could usually find him having coffee at Coop’s. Clyde rejoined the workforce briefly in 1994-1995 to bring his expertise to the island of Taiwan, where a lot of plane crashes were taking place. Because of Clyde’s experience flying, being an air traffic controller, and programming, he was able to alleviate most of the disasters there. He lived in Taipei, renting an apartment from the Chens, who became close friends for the rest of his life. On his way back to the United States, he completed his goal of traveling completely around the world.

Clyde is survived by two children, John Wesley Fincher and Nancy Fincher (Veronica Bach); his sisters, Elda Reeves and Daphene Jones; many cousins, nieces and nephews, and a global family of friends whose lives he touched.

He is preceded in death by his parents; his older brother who died in childhood, “Cooney”; and his oldest sister, Mary Bratcher.

He made it very clear that his final resting place was to be Marlow, Oklahoma, with his name on the War Memorial along with his fellow veterans. Clyde fulfilled all his dreams and will be remembered for his fun-loving and generous heart.