Arvel Lawrence Fincher

Hear ye, hear ye, as a matter of public notice, Arvel Lawrence (Larry) Fincher has died at age 88 after a long race against time. He passed on Wednesday, December 8th, 2022. Family members who will adjust to his absence are: wife Marian, daughter Katherine, son David, granddaughter Isabella, sister Phoebe, and sister Polly. If you knew him here in Asheville in his activities of computing, teaching, or race walking, pause with hopefully positive thoughts.

His life and career journey carried him from his birthplace in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Texas, to Michigan, to North Carolina, to Oregon, to Georgia, and lastly, to his final resting place here in beautiful Asheville. He was a soldier, a physicist, a university administrator, a husband, a father, a grandfather, and a man of character, dedication, and good humor. Along the journey, he and Marian, his wife of 65 years, traveled to the UK and Europe many times, climbed the Great Wall of China, and visited countless wonderful places in this grand and bountiful United States of America.

In retirement, Larry was both an avid teacher and learner at OLLI at UNC Asheville. From teaching courses on computers, to Chaos, to quantum physics while wearing an Einstein wig, he always shared his excitement for learning about anything and everything in our world. Apple Computer Corporation and the computer community in Asheville owe him a debt of gratitude, and will surely miss his constant help and guidance. First Presbyterian Church of Asheville will miss his fellowship and service, but in connection with his lifelong faith, his mortal remains and memory will be close to the community in the Memorial Garden. Friends are encouraged to visit him in the garden, share a moment of contemplation, but please, no prayers to him for tech support for new versions of the Apple operating system.

The family asks in lieu of gifts, flowers, or food, that everyone take a moment and celebrate Larry’s life by remembering the labors of all the teachers in our lives that have helped us all grow and learn.

Memorial donations in Larry’s name can be sent to the “Society For Science” (https://www.societyforscience.org/) which was founded in 1921. SFS has been dedicated to expanding scientific literacy, access to STEM education, student opportunity, and scientific research, for more than 100 years.

Godspeed to you, but don’t exceed 186,000 miles per second. It is not just a good idea…it’s the law. Einstein, Planck, Newton, and a pantheon of physics greats await your arrival.