WHEREAS, Terry Lee Fincher was born on November 4, 1947 in the City of Chino, California; and
WHEREAS, Terry Fincher bravely served his country as a chief mechanic of an F-4 squadron in the United States Air force during the Vietnam War; and
WHEREAS, After his military service, Terry Fincher joined the Brea Police Department in 1980, where he had worked prior as a reserve officer; and
WHEREAS, During his time at the Brea Police Department, Terry Fincher achieved many career accomplishments, including earning the rank of Senior Detective, receiving Associate of the Year and Officer of the Year awards, being a founding member of the Peer Counseling and Crisis Intervention Team, and being a member of the Hostage Negotiation Team and the Tactical Arrest and Containment Team; and
WHEREAS, Over the course of his career, Terry Fincher worked in many aspects of law enforcement, from motors to homicide, checks and fraud, burglary, crime scene investigations, and the Special Enforcement Detail; and
WHEREAS, Colleagues often talked about how Terry Fincher went out of his way to comfort friends during hard times and often volunteered for assignments; and
WHEREAS, On the morning of May 22, 1996, Terry Fincher was tragically struck and killed by a train while searching for evidence in an assault case; and
WHEREAS, Terry Fincher was only the second officer to die in the line of duty during the 81 year history of the Brea Police Department; and
WHEREAS, At the time of his passing, Terry Fincher was survived by wife, Brenda; daughter, Edie,; son, Erik; step children, Melissa Scott and Nathan Scott; and two grandsons, Benjamin and Brandon; and
WHEREAS, Terry Fincher is missed by all those who loved and knew him; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby designates the portion of State Route 91 from Weir Canyon Road undercrossing 55-505R/L Postmile R014.433R/R014.431L, to Gypsum Canyon Road undercrossing 55-506 Postmile R16.404, in the County of Orange as the Detective Terry Lee Fincher Memorial Highway; and be it further
Resolved, That the Department of Transportation is requested to determine the cost of erecting appropriate signs, consistent with the signage requirements for the state highway system, showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering that cost, to erect those signs; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the Director of Transportation and to the author for appropriate distribution.