Tamara Jeanne (Valley) Finsel, age 74, passed away at home in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on January 20, 2022, after valiantly living with Huntington’s Chorea. Tammie, as she was called, was born in Muskegon, Michigan, on August 19, 1947, to George W. and Dorothy (Neal) Valley. She was their second child in the family, along with her older brother, George, and her younger brothers, Ed and Pat. She was surrounded by loving aunts, uncles, and cousins in Muskegon.
Prior to starting her freshman year of high school, her family moved to Ft. Smith, Arkansas, and she attended St. Ann’s Mercy High School. Shortly after she graduated from St. Ann’s in 1965, she joined the Sisters of Mercy’s religious order and moved to St. Louis, Missouri, to enter their novitiate. In 1968, her father died suddenly of a heart attack, and Tammie left the religious order to move home and care for her mother who had Huntington’s Chorea, raise her two younger brothers, and commute to the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas, to finish her undergraduate degree. While she left the Mercy’s, she carried the Mercy charism in her heart, lived the Mercy values the rest of her life, and remained friends with those she had lived with in the novitiate. Tammie met her husband, Charley, in December 1968, and they married in 1970. After she completed her undergraduate degree, she taught speech and English at St. Ann’s. Tammie then completed a Master of Arts at the University of Arkansas and taught at the University and then at Chaffin Jr. High School in Ft. Smith. Tammie was actively involved in the Fort Smith Little Theatre, Junior Civic League, and Christ the King Catholic Church.
Tammie was a devoted mother to Christy and Becky and loved them unconditionally. In 1984, the family moved to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Tammie was a tremendous volunteer parent at St. Charles Borromeo School, in Oklahoma City, as the girls grew up. After completing a Library Science certification at the University of Central Oklahoma, she was hired as the Media Specialist at Mount St. Mary High School, finishing her career by teaching drama and speech, directing school plays, co-sponsoring the Key Club, and running the school library for eighteen years. She retired and cared for her oldest grandson, Culain, until she was unable to any longer due to the effects of Huntington’s on her body. Tammie loved to travel and she took some wonderful trips before and after her diagnosis. She did all she could to be actively involved in her children and grandchildren’s lives, whom she loved so much. She remained a parishioner at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church for thirty-eight years.
Tammie was a joyful woman with a beautiful smile and a wonderful laugh. She was incredibly kind and accepting of others, and was devoted to her family. She had an amazing ability to accept what was going on in her life and to keep moving forward in love and with grace. As she was dying, she expressed to us that everyone in her life was there, as well as thankfulness for her life.
Tammie is survived by Charley, her husband of 51 years; daughters, Christy (Dan), and Becky; grandchildren Culain, Eowyn, Alistair, and Annelise; brothers George, Ed (Judy), and Pat (Carol); brother-in-law, Paul; sister-in-law, Joan (Don); godmother, Jackie; goddaughter, Sheila; and many cousins, nieces, nephews, and good friends from throughout her life. She was preceded in death by her parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and godfather; several cousins; sister-in-law, Fran; and her niece’s son, Divin.
The family wishes to thank all those who helped care for her over the years, especially Rita Clytus, FaLisa Alexander, Good Shepherd Hospice, and Pat Brown; those who read to her – Mary Ann Johnson and Patti Wells; those who brought her communion, including Linda Burdg and Audre Antkowiak; and Reverend Tim Luschen and Reverend Richard Stansberry, who visited her and are concelebrating her funeral mass. We are grateful to her many dear friends and family who visited and prayed for, and with, her.
Due to COVID, there will not be a public vigil. The Mass of Celebration of her life will be held on Tuesday, January 25, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, located at 5024 N. Grove, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73122. For those wishing to view Tammie, her casket will be open in the church from 9:15-9:45 a.m. on the day of the funeral. To try to reduce the spread of COVID, masks are required for the funeral service and social distancing is requested. The funeral service will be livestreamed and recorded by the church for those wishing to participate virtually. On the day of the funeral, you may go to https://stcharlesokc.net and link to the St. Charles’ Facebook page and watch the funeral mass. (You may watch the funeral even if you are not a Facebook user). Tammie will be cremated after the funeral service and her burial will be conducted at a date to be determined.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Huntington’s Disease Society of America (hdsa.org); Mount St. Mary High School in Oklahoma City (mountstmary.org); or to the ministries of the Sisters of Mercy (Mercy Ministry Corporation, Attn: Jane Sprankel, 2039 N. Geyer Road, St. Louis, MO 63131).
We love you so much, Tammie (a.k.a. Mom and Gram)!
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.billmerrittfuneralservice.com for the Finsel family.
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