Harold’s life came to an Earthly conclusion January 8, 2023, when he rose up peacefully to be with his Redeemer while surrounded by his family.
Born March 18, 1933, in Kansas City, Kansas, Harold accepted Christ at age 10 and was baptized at Grandview Baptist Church. He was a graduate of Wyandotte High School. He later earned both his Bachelor of Science degree and his Ed.D. degree from his much beloved KU. Rock Chalk Jayhawk - the 2022 National basketball champs! His Master of Science degree was from Ohio State.
(As a doctoral student, he was the only one at that time who had ever received honors citations in both his comprehensive examinations and his dissertation defense, finishing in a record-time of three months!)
Harold married his beautiful bride, Peggy Thompson, July 24, 1955, and went on to serve his country proudly as a Captain in Air Force Technical Intelligence at Wright-Patterson AFB. As a young engineer in his late 20s and early 30s, Harold became Midwest Research Institute’s youngest-ever Senior Engineer and was the youngest professional to receive their highest honor: Principal Engineer. After submitting a proposal that single-handedly beat out those of the aerospace giants, NASA named him to be Project Director of their Apollo Heating Program. His most significant and enduring contribution to science was his invention of the “Barbecue Roll,” the computerized system that created a controlled rolling action for the Apollo spacecraft. Harold’s thermodynamic space innovations kept the first lunar astronauts and their on-board instruments from either burning up or freezing in the extremes of space (as highlighted in the movie Apollo 13 starring Tom Hanks). Apollo 15 lunar astronaut Jim Irwin wrote a handwritten note to him: “Harold, thank you for your work. We were most comfortable.” Harold’s pioneering space innovations have been adapted and are still being used by NASA today on the Orion moon missions of the 21st century.
In 1964, Harold was named Overland Park’s first Man of the Year. That same year, he was one of 11 U.S. scientists invited to speak at the World Congress of Astronautics with top aerospace scientist Dr. Wernher von Braun in Warsaw and also in Madrid in 1966.
A couple of years later, an unlikely career move made him an educational pioneer. He spearheaded the 1960s’ vo-tech revolution at both Metropolitan Junior College (now the MCC system) and Johnson County Community College. He created MJC’s pioneering and nationally recognized aviation certification programs. Harold’s demographic work is the reason JCCC is situated on its current centrally-located property. Harold was JCCC’s first Dean of Instruction, first Vice President, and first Executive Vice President, and is also a past president of that institution. JCCC’s iconic open-petal sunflower logo was his own inspiration (representing how one’s education is never quite complete).
Harold later co-founded Padgett-Thompson (named for the wives’ maiden names), which became the nation’s largest business training company. P-T, a 2-time Inc. 500 corporation, trained over a million businesspeople, including leaders from all Fortune 500 corporations. Harold next founded CottageCare, which rose to be one of the nation’s premier housecleaning franchisers, also becoming an Inc. 500 corporation and winning the Blue Chip award.
The hearts of he and Peggy guided them to establish the Wellspring Foundation which sponsored 1,200 people to go on 80 mission trips to 30 countries and experience foreign missionary work - to bring a new vitality and vision to local churches here at home. In doing so, they never accepted donations. As a result of that ministry around 25,000 people met Jesus in a meaningful way for the first time.
Harold was a devoted student of the Bible; a man known for prayer, Scripture memory, and great integrity. He was a long-time deacon, deacon chairman, and Bible Study teacher; the only non-clergy leader to be elected President of the Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists. Along with Peggy, he was a member of Fellowship Church in Greenwood, Missouri.
Harold’s true passion was inspiring others to dream big dreams and have great success in life - especially eternal success. In retirement, he traveled the world and was invited to speak before numerous federal congresses, supreme courts, universities, national police forces, and even ordinary people who packed soccer stadiums to hear his success-oriented, evangelistic talks. His ministry and discipleship efforts, always working in tandem alongside established missionaries in the field for discipleship and follow-up, resulted in around 55,000 people professing Jesus Christ to be their Savior!
At 70, Harold authored The Three Keys to Extraordinary Success, and at 80 (at the urging of Christian leaders), he became the Executive Producer of a theater-released motion picture Unlimited based on his own life. His story was also the subject of a book titled Unlimited, by best-selling author Davis Bunn.
Harold said his greatest achievement was marrying Peggy and raising a family with her. He loved his family dearly and cherished and attended every new birth, graduation, wedding, and family event. Perhaps his greatest legacy was how he only rarely missed attending his family’s sports games and never missed being there for any of their achievements. He had a special place in his heart for all pets and animals. He also enjoyed cars, illustrating pictures, playing competitive basketball on the driveway for fun or with his brother Gordon on the Grandview Baptist Church league, gardening and flowers, especially purple pansies.
With a fun-loving spirit, Harold found true joy playing with little children and making them laugh more than anything else in life. He served on numerous Trustee Boards, but he most enjoyed helping to shape Summit Christian Academy (Lee’s Summit) in its formative years.
Harold inspired countless people and left everything he did better than he found it. He was inducted into Southwest Baptist University’s entrepreneur’s Hall of Fame in 1985 and KU’s Engineering Hall of Fame in 2012 upon receiving the Distinguished Engineering Service Award. In 2019, he was awarded the Buck O'Neil Lifetime Achievement award. He walked on all 7 continents and is now once again exploring the mysteries of space, but this time he is doing it with the One who created it all. The world has lost a giant.
Harold was preceded in death by his parents, Milford and Katherine Finch, brother Gordon Finch, sister Barbara Finch, and grandson Caleb Finch. He is survived by Peggy, of the home, his wife of 67 years. He is also survived by 3 children, Mark (spouse Ann) Finch, Greg (spouse Pam) Finch, and Susan (spouse José) Ruiz, 6 grandchildren, Bethany (spouse Chris) Lee, Emily (spouse David) Parker, Jonathan Finch, William Finch, Aliya Finch, and Sophia Ruiz, and 3 great-grandchildren, Jaxon Lee, Alexa Lee, and Aniston Lee. Each lives in Lee’s Summit. He is also survived by 1 sister-in-law Sharon DeMoss, 2 nieces Kim Sego and Melanie DeMoss and 2 nephews Ron Finch and Kevin Finch all of whom live in the Greater KC area.
