James A. Finley, longtime AP photographer in St. Louis, dies

ST. LOUIS -- James A. Finley, an acclaimed photojournalist who served as a mentor to countless others during his 22 years as The Associated Press staff photographer in St. Louis, has died. He was 76.

Finley died Sunday of peripheral vascular disease at his home in St. Louis. His death was confirmed by his sister, Denise Porter.

Finley was the staff photographer for the AP in St. Louis from 1984 until his retirement in 2006. His photos chronicled the environmental disaster at Times Beach, Missouri, in the 1980s, the great Midwestern flood of 1993 and Oklahoma City bombing in 1995.

He helped cover 10 Super Bowls and countless baseball playoff and World Series games.

He also was a key part of Diverse Visions, an annual AP program for student photojournalists of color.