--- title: SR 1036. Finch, Deacon Willie David "Bill"; condolences collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr1036 cite_as: SR 1036, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1036 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1036.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1036/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74427 date: 2026-03-27 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1035.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1037.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1036.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 1036 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-03-27 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Gail Davenport - Donzella James - Emanuel Jones - Tonya Anderson text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR1036/2025 upstream_id: 2138414 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - condolence resolution - Forest Park Georgia - Clayton County history - Georgia Senate --- # SR 1036. Finch, Deacon Willie David "Bill"; condolences ## Text Senate Resolution 1036 By: Senators Davenport of the 17th, James of the 28th, Jones of the 10th and Anderson of the 43rd A RESOLUTION Honoring the life and memory of Deacon Willie David “Bill” Finch; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the State of Georgia mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished citizens with the passing of Deacon Willie David “Bill” Finch on March 15, 2026; and WHEREAS, Deacon Willie David “Bill” Finch was born on August 25, 1935, in Barnett, Warren County, Georgia, a beloved son of Tommie Finch, Sr., and Ida Mae Finch; and WHEREAS, he was united in love and marriage to his wife, Annie Bell Pittman-Finch, and was blessed with seven remarkable children, 13 grandchildren, and 18 great grandchildren; and WHEREAS, the couple moved the Forest Park, Georgia, in 1958 and remain among the longest residents in Forest Park; and WHEREAS, Bill was known as a trailblazer not only in Forest Park but also in Clayton County and the State of Georgia; and WHEREAS, he was the first of two African American men to own a Gulf Oil Gas Station in the State of Georgia; played an integral role in his 11-year-old son, Rodney, becoming the first Black athlete to integrate Forest Park athletics in football and baseball; and was the first Black man to coach Little League Baseball; and WHEREAS, the doors Bill opened for his community not only changed the lives of countless children in the State if Georgia, but also allowed his son, Rodney, to be drafted by the Atlanta Braves; and WHEREAS, although he never ran for political office, he was known as one of the best politicians in Clayton County, offering his support and friendship to many key political figures in the county; and WHEREAS, a compassionate and generous man, Bill will long be remembered for his love of family, friendship, and community and will be missed by all who had the great fortune of knowing him. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body join in honoring the life and memory of Deacon Willie David “Bill” Finch and express their deepest and most sincere regret at his passing. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the family of Deacon Willie David “Bill” Finch. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia Senate resolution honors the life of Deacon Willie David "Bill" Finch of Forest Park, who died on March 15, 2026, and directs a copy be sent to his family. ### Plain-language summary This resolution is a formal statement from the Georgia Senate marking the death of Deacon Willie David "Bill" Finch, a longtime resident of Forest Park in Clayton County who died on March 15, 2026. The text recounts his life, including being one of the first two African American men to own a Gulf Oil gas station in Georgia, helping his son become the first Black athlete to integrate Forest Park athletics, and being the first Black man to coach Little League Baseball in the area. The resolution does not change any Georgia law. It simply expresses the Senate's condolences to his family and directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to them. ### What it does - Formally expresses the Georgia Senate's regret over the death of Deacon Willie David "Bill" Finch. - Recounts his life history, family, and community contributions in Forest Park and Clayton County. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and send a copy of the resolution to his family. ### Who it affects This resolution directly concerns the family of Deacon Willie David "Bill" Finch and the Forest Park and Clayton County communities where he lived. It has no regulatory or legal effect on the general public. ### Why it matters The resolution carries no legal or financial consequences; it is a ceremonial gesture. Its significance is symbolic, offering public recognition from the Georgia Senate of a local figure's life and contributions to his community. ### Key provisions - The resolution's opening section states the Senate's purpose of honoring Deacon Willie David "Bill" Finch's life and memory. - The first resolving clause formally expresses the Senate's regret at his passing. - The second resolving clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy available to his family. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-03-27) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2026-03-27) - Sponsors: Gail Davenport, Donzella James, Emanuel Jones, Tonya Anderson - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74427 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1036.md?full=1