Charlotte (Davis) Coleman

Charlotte Coleman, age 90, died peacefully at home on May 19, 2024 after a brief illness.

Charlotte’s life was devoted to her family, her friends, her faith, her nursing career and her beloved dogs and cats. May she rest in peace and rise in glory. Charlotte was born in November 1933 to James William and Charlotte Mae (Pfoor) Davis in Archibald, Pennsylvania. Her parents, and her sister Louise Benrubin, predeceased her. Her brother James W. Davis Jr. survives. Charlotte, known to family and friends as “Sis,” spent a happy childhood in Alloway and on Alloway Lake when her parents relocated to South Jersey.

As a teenager, she twice was elected the Alloway Halloween Parade Queen. Charlotte graduated from Woodstown High School, Class of 1951, and she graduated with an RN degree from the Delaware Hospital School of Nursing in 1954. Her nursing career at Salem County Memorial Hospital in Mannington spanned decades, from the mid-1950s to the mid-1990s. She assisted in the delivery of hundreds of Salem County babies over the years. Charlotte married Jack “Jake” Finlaw in November 1954. Their marriage ended when Jake succumbed to a long battle with MS. Jake and Sis spent many happy years together at their home on Alloway Lake where they raised their four children Jack, Dawn, Tim, & Beth.

Together they entertained friends and neighbors for barbeques and card parties, participated in civic life, volunteered in school and church activities, engaged in town and county politics, and tended to dogs, cats, horses, and a large vegetable garden. Charlotte was a good cook and baker, famous for her crab cakes and pumpkin pies, and she especially looked forward each year to the asparagus and strawberry seasons. In her youth she made delicious chicken pot pie, and in her later years she enjoyed this South Jersey specialty from Bud’s Market in Quinton. Charlotte married her high school sweetheart Bill Coleman in 1989. They celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary shortly before Charlotte died. Together they shared homes in Mannington and Elsinboro with Skippy, their beloved Chesapeake Bay Retriever, and many, many cats. Charlotte and Bill enjoyed golf, travel, and Friday nightgames of Pinochle. Charlotte was a woman of deep faith. She was raised in the United Methodist Church in Alloway where she taught Sunday School and sometimes preached. Later she was active for many years, and served as an Elder, at the First Presbyterian Church in Salem. Charlotte enjoyed the fellowship of, and held leadership positions, in Christian women’s prayer groups. In her final years, she worshipped with Ed McKelvey’s house church community in Alloway.

Charlotte is survived by her husband Bill Coleman, brother Jim Davis, son Jack Finlaw and his husband Greg Movesian, daughter Dawn Kimble and her husband Dennis, son Timothy Finlaw and his wife Veronica, daughter Beth Reilly and her husband Joe, granddaughter Brittany Turner and her husband David, granddaughter Brooke Giova and her husband Dom, granddaughter Amanda Finlaw, grandson Christopher Reilly and great grandchildren, Leanna and Jake Turner. Many nieces and nephews, and Bill’s son and daughter-in-law Mike and Connie Coleman and their daughters Maria and Alexis, also mourn Charlotte’s passing. The family wishes to express their gratitude for the hospice care provided by Redeemer Health.

A memorial service for Charlotte Coleman will be held at 4 pm on Saturday, June 15 at WOODSIDE FUNERAL HOME, 613 Salem Quinton Road, Salem, New Jersey 08079 (Quinton Twp.), where family and friends may visit from 3:00 to 4:00 pm.  Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages contributions in Charlotte’s memory to the Elsinboro Fire Company, 35 Delaware Ave, Salem, NJ 08079 or to Maddie & Friends, (a cat rescue and spay/neuter clinic) 330 Pecks Corner Rd., Salem, NJ 08079.

Charlotte wanted everyone to know that her last wish is that you vote for Donald J. Trump for President in November.

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