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LOUISVILLE — Otto Finkbeiner, 81, a longtime servant of the Presbyterian Church, died of heart failure on May 20 at his home in the Rosemont Presbyterian Village, near Philadelphia, PA.
For 25 years, Finkbeiner was the meeting planner for the General Assemblies of the northern streams of what is now the reunited Presbyterian Church (USA). He was also the denomination’s statistician. He retired in 1988.
Finkbeiner’s memorial service was held on May 25 at the Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, where, in his last years, he was a member of the Session, moderated the Outreach Council and worked on the Associate Executive Pastor Search Committee. He was a regular delegate from Bryn Mawr to the Presbytery of Philadelphia.
During the homily, the Rev. Eugene Bay, Bryn Maw’s senior pastor, remarked, “It is fashionable in some circles, these days, to belittle those who labor in bureaucracies, be they governmental or ecclesiastical. Today, we gratefully remember one who served with distinction one or another for the Presbyterian bureaucracies for 41 years.
“Otto’s appetite for hard work and long hours, his organizational skills, his dependability, his unflappability, his modesty, his friendly demeanor, his sense of fairness, and his good humor made him a natural for the positions he held. Most of his service in the national church was related to the Office of the Stated Clerk. He was the epitome of the “behind the scenes” figure who is never in the limelight, whose work often goes unrecognized, but without whose effective and efficient labor, confusion and chaos would reign.”
During his career, Finkbeiner worked with the Board of Christian Education in Philadelphia, was an administrator in the Office of the General Assembly and then served as an assistant to the church’s stated clerk. He became treasurer of the General Assembly in 1972.
Finkbeiner grew up in Hatboro, PA. During World War II, he served in the Army Air Corps as a troop carrier squadron pilot in the Pacific. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Temple University.
Since 1982, he was married to Joyce Mark Finkbeiner, after a previous divorce. Before moving to Rosemont last year, he and his wife lived for 11 years in King of Prussia, PA.
William P. Thompson, who was the stated clerk of the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. for 18 years, said that Joyce Finkbeiner called him shortly after her husband’s death. He said that Finkbeiner was his good friend, and during Thompson’s years as stated clerk, was of “great help.”
“He was responsible for planning General Assemblies and he did this with great skill,” Thompson said, adding that Finkbeiner had a knack for making hard work seem easy. “He was quiet. Very courteous. Watching him, you’d never know how hard he was working. He always appeared to have time to talk with you, all the time you needed.”
The Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, the current stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (USA), described Finkbeiner as a “dear friend” and “mentor.” “He served this church faithfully for many years as an associate stated clerk. In his retirement, Otto continued to love and serve the church and was an avid supporter of the work of the Presbyterian Historical Society.”
Finkbeiner is survived by his son, Eric; his daughters, Judith Sweitzer and Janet Haas; his stepsons, Bob Barnes and Gregory Barnes; a brother and five grandchildren.
Memorial donations may be made to the Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, 625 Montgomery Ave., Bryn Mawr, PA 19010.
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