Cordell Finlinson

Cordell Finlinson passed peacefully, surrounded by his loving family on Sunday morning, December 8th, 2024. 

 Cordell was born on October 7, 1946, to Marvin and Elva Finlinson, in Delta, Utah. He was the fourth of seven children. His mom said he was the hardest of the seven to raise, which may have had something to do with sluffing Primary, smoking “barkies”, cutting the top off of a ’54 white Mercury two door hard top with a hack saw to make a convertible against her wishes and “dragging main” in Oak City one too many times. 

Cordell served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Brazil and helped open the Forteleza Mission. He faithfully and diligently served in many church positions. He was a man of great faith with an unwavering testimony of the Savior, Jesus Christ. 

He married Gloria Marie Craw in 1969. They adopted Dustin in 1972. Gloria passed from childbirth complications in 1973. Cordell later married Karen Lovell in 1974, and Amber was born in 1975. Karen passed away of childbirth complications shortly after. Cordell met Terri Lynne Bean Romrell on a blind date and after long-distance dating for two months, Cordell told Terri that there was a ring in the jockey box waiting for her when she was ready. They were married in September of 1980 and with Terri’s son, Lee, their families were united. Cordell and Terri went on to have three more children together: Trent (1982), Shawn (1985) and Ty (1988). 

Cordell had an uncanny ability to know what people needed and when he knew it, he did something about it. Whether it was sending a much-needed electrician, plumber or carpet installer to a neighbor’s house, growing extra vegetables to deliver throughout the neighborhood or just making friends. He had a special ability to take kids (and even adults) that were struggling under his wing and made sure that they felt included and loved. He made friends easily, and once you were Cordell’s friend, you had a friend for life. He was truly an unsung hero to many.

Cordell was a lover of family, cars (especially fast ones), football, plants (especially geraniums), hamburgers, Coke (he could aways tell you where the best Coke was—Pace’s Dairy Ann in Bountiful), McDonald’s Sausage McMuffins, and any sweets he could get his hands on. He was also a fixer of broken things. There was nothing he couldn’t fix with a little ingenuity, a ball of baling wire, a zip tie, and a ratchet strap. His family affectionately refers to these practices as “Cordell-ing It”. 

 Cordell will be greatly missed, but he is now free from the physical body that has limited and frustrated him over the past several years. 

Cordell is preceded in death by his parents, two brothers and one sister, as well as a son, Jade. He leaves behind his wife of 44 years, Terri Lynne Finlinson and their six children: Dustin (Villina), Amber (Justin), Lee (Justine), Trent (Allie), Shawn (Seth) and Ty (Evelin). He was well-loved by his grandchildren: Krystal (Bethany), Taylor (Yuanting), Davis (Morgan), Morgan, Wyatt, Finn, Kyra (Anthi), Chloe, Josh, Carter, Cole, Trey, Zane, Isaiahs and Eliana, as well as his great-grandchildren: Alanna, Emmett, Warren and Henry. 

Funeral services will be held Friday December 13, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints 1402 N. Fort Lane, Layton, Utah. Friends may visit with family Thursday December 12, 2024, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Lindquist’s Layton Mortuary 1867 No. Fairfield Road Layton, Utah, and Friday December 13, 2024, from 9:30 to 10:30 at the church. 

Interment will be at the Oak City Cemetery

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Utah Food Bank in Cordell’s honor @ www.utahfoodbank.org.

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