Katherine Mary Finklea, beloved wife of John Toland and mother of Cleo and Imogene, lost a long battle with cancer on May 24, 2024, surrounded by her family at home in Plymouth, Mass.
Katie was born on Feb. 5, 1982, to Harry and Elizabeth Finklea in Blacksburg, Va. She grew up in Morgantown, graduated from the North Carolina School of the Arts High School Ballet Program and after two years with the Boston Ballet School, returned to Morgantown and earned a political science degree from WVU.
She was predeceased by her maternal grandparents, Sir Thomas and Lady Wedderspoon, of Angus, Scotland; paternal grandparents, Colonel Samuel L. and Mary Osborn Finklea, of Columbia, S.C.; and her uncle, William Wedderspoon, of Angus, Scotland.
In addition to her husband and daughters, Katie is survived by her parents; sister and brother-in-law, Sarah Finklea and Stephen Glicken, and their children, Thomas, Maisie and William, of Nashville, Tenn.; parents-in-law, John and Mary Toland, of Kingston, Mass.; brother and sister-in-law, Dan and Alicia Toland, and their daughters, Malia, Lindsay and Hope, of Pembroke, Mass.; sister-in-law, Cathleen Toland, of Rochester, N.Y.; aunts, Janet Noble (Dick) and Jacqueline Finklea (Glen Adams); uncle, Sam Finklea (Charlotte McCreary); and cousins, Mamie and Jannie Adams and Rowan Adams, all of Columbia, S.C.
In the UK, she is survived by aunts, Joy Tetley and Janice Wedderspoon; cousins, Caroline Taylor (Andrew), Fiona Kehoe (Michael) and John Tetley (Jo Chesney), Kirsty Wedderspoon (Andy Williams), Lucy Walton-Rees (Lloyd), Andrew Wedderspoon (Nikki), Jamie Wedderspoon (Ellie) and their children.
The family would like to thank the staff of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the Dana Farber Cancer Center and the wonderful carers of Beacon Hospice for their support and loving care during Katie’s last illness.
Family and friends are invited to gather for a celebration of Katie’s life at the John Alden Club, 16 Minuteman Lane, Plymouth, MA, at 11 a.m. on Sunday, June 2. A second celebration will be held in Morgantown at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Ovarian Cancer Research Association (OCRA), Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Amedisys Foundation or a charity of your choice.
