Nelly Watson Finch

October 8, 1934 - August 23, 2019

Nelly Watson Finch, 84, died Friday, August 23, 2019 at her home outside Rustburg. She was born October 8, 1934 in Lynchburg. She was predeceased by her parents, Thomas Watson Finch and Nellie Grace Hurd Finch. She was a lifetime member of Diamond Hill Presbyterian Church, a Charter member of the Campbell County Historical Society, and a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, the Society for Outstanding Educators. She also enjoyed participating with the senior musical group "The Good Timers", and will always be remembered for her impersonations of Minnie Pearl. Nelly was a retired English teacher, and taught in Campbell County Schools, Roanoke and Nevada. Nelly enjoyed life to the fullest. She was always on the go, even as her health tried to make her slow down. She loved all living things, especially her father's flower gardens and her precious chickens, dogs and cats, and she was well known in the area for her guinea hens. Nelly never stopped "teaching", even after she retired from the school system, through sharing her life experiences and vast knowledge. She had a great interest in young people, their education and aspirations. She also never met a stranger, because through her wonderful gift of conversation she would find out who you were, where you went to school and who your "people" were, and then you weren't strangers any longer. She is survived by numerous cousins in the extended Finch family and many close friends. Special thanks goes to her main caregivers for the past few years, Frankie Dalton, Michelle Ellett, and Lynn Carmichael. Visitation for family and friends will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Monday at Finch and Finch Funeral and Cremation Service, Gladys. Interment will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, August 27 at the Finch Family Cemetery, 614 New Chapel Road, Rustburg, followed by refreshments in the fellowship hall of Diamond Hill Presbyterian Church, 1090 Mollies Creek Road, Gladys. The funeral service will be conducted at 11:00 a.m. by the Rev. Christy Mitchell. To honor Nelly's memory, those wishing to make memorials are asked to consider Friends of Campbell County Animal Control, Inc., 1400 Edley Place, Lynchburg, VA 24502, Diamond Hill Presbyterian Church, 1090 Mollies Creek Road, Gladys, VA 24554 or University of Lynchburg Hornet Club, 1501 Lakeside Drive, Lynchburg, VA 24501.