William Finlayson funeral: Trailblazing Milwaukee doctor remembered
MILWAUKEE - Funeral services for Dr. William Finlayson, a trailblazing Milwaukee physician and community leader, were held Saturday.
What they're saying:
Family, friends and community leaders honored Dr. William Finlayson at Abundant Faith Church of Integrity. Finlayson, one of the first Black physicians to practice in Milwaukee hospitals, died on May 11. He was 101 years old.
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"He leaves a lot of great memories," said Ken Little, a colleague and friend. "I think that impact is going to be long lasting. We lose him as an individual that we can see and talk, but his memory and the impact of his investments will live on."
Dr. William Finlayson
The backstory:
Finlayson delivered 10,000 babies over his 40-year medical career, a news release announcing his passing said.
Finlayson was also active in Milwaukee's early civil rights movement and helped establish the city's first Black bank. The North Milwaukee Bank became a lifeline for Black residents who had struggled to access credit.
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Milwaukee leaders renamed N. 5th Street as Dr. William Finlayson Street in August 2023.
Edith Finlayson, William's wife of many years, passed away in 2001. The couple met in Tennessee while he was in medical school, and she was finishing her training as a nurse. She was later hired at the Veterans Administration, where she became the first Black nurse, and was the first Black regent in the University of Wisconsin System.
Finlayson power couple reshaped Black Milwaukee through medicine, money
Dr. William Finlayson delivered generations of Milwaukee babies and, with wife Edith, helped found North Milwaukee Bank after facing discrimination, thus expanding opportunity for Black residents.
The Source: Information in this story is from Saturday's service and prior coverage of Finalyson's impact on Milwaukee.