Robert Francis Finn

Robert Francis Finn of Plainville, CT, passed away peacefully on Saturday, June 15, 2024, at 88 years of age, in the home he built and lived in for 46 years after suffering from an undiagnosed ailment for several months. Born August 10, 1935, in Springfield, MA, “Bob” was raised by his late parents, Daniel and Catherine (Moriarty) Finn, in New Haven, CT. 

From an early age, Bob was a standout athlete and excelled at many sports. He was the Connecticut one-meter springboard diving champion in 1953 while a senior at James Hillhouse High School.

Bob worked and saved for college for two years, then enrolled at Quinnipiac College in 1955. He studied business administration and played baseball and basketball for four years. He was a three-time captain of the baseball team from 1957 to 1959 and captained the basketball team in 1959. In his senior year, he led the Braves to the SNECC Championship in both baseball and basketball. In recognition of his athleticism and leadership, Bob was inducted into the Quinnipiac University Athletic Hall of Fame as a two-sport athlete in 1983. 

He proudly served his country in the U.S. Army National Guard Infantry Training Program. His initial six months of active duty were spent at Fort Nix, NJ. He completed his service commitment in 1962 with the Army National Guard in New Haven. 

Bob met his late wife Elizabeth “Betsy” (Foy) in 1964 on a blind date, and they married in 1965. They resided with their young family in East Haven for nine years. Bob worked as a registered sanitarian for the East Shore District Health Department and coached in East Haven’s youth hockey and Little League Baseball programs. 

In the late 1970s, he accepted the position of health inspector for the town of Plainville. Bob and Betsy purchased a dilapidated home built in 1925 on Trumbull Avenue. With the assistance of many helpful and handy friends and relatives, Bob worked tirelessly renovating and expanding the property. He moved his family into the refurbished home in the summer of 1979. 

The “House that Bob Built” hosted extended family and friends for over four decades, marking countless holidays, family milestones and celebrations, and (mostly) good-natured arguments about who was the first to get the "Jeopardy!" answer correct—and always in the form of a question. 

He supported the Plainville community by serving on various town and community boards, commissions, and committees throughout his 25-year career as a dedicated town employee and cheered on the Blue Devils at many games, meets, and matches that his children took part in while they attended PHS throughout the 1980s.

 Bob spent copious amounts of time in his garage man cave playing cards with family, friends, and neighbors while smoking cigars, sipping a chilled glass of scotch or bourbon, and watching game shows and sports on TV. He never missed the chance to cheer on his beloved Boston Red Sox or the UConn men’s and women’s basketball teams, and he was beyond thrilled to have been able to celebrate these teams’ numerous triumphs during the last 25 years of his life.

 An avid sportsman and outdoor enthusiast, he long appreciated skiing, ice skating, playing on local softball and bowling teams, and fishing and always looked forward to an annual hunting trip to Maine with close friends in the “Wide Load Association.” Not being able to fully participate and compete in any “fair competition” is what disturbed and frustrated him the most in his later years. 

In his late 20s, Bob ardently and enthusiastically took up playing golf. Getting his first hole-in-one in his late-30s was a highlight, and he continued to “hit ‘em straight” for decades, having hit at least ten holes-in-one over the years—the final one coming in his mid-70s. He was an active member of Pequabuck Golf Club in Terryville for more than 35 years. Bob was particularly proud of the fact that he shot his age or better, at least once and sometimes several times, a year from his mid-70s until he was 86.

 He leaves a legacy of laughter, love, generosity, and anecdotes that those who knew him will forever cherish. His devout stubbornness and fastidiousness served him well throughout his life. Even in his waning months, he was a model of strong will and determination until the end of his journey here on earth. 

His passing has left a permanent void in the lives of those who knew, loved, and valued his company. Bob leaves his three children, Christine (Rick) Yurko of Oakton, VA; Patrick Finn of Plainville; and Micaela (Brian) Fitzsimmons of Kensington; his four much-adored grandchildren, Nicholas and Catherine Yurko and Michael and Elizabeth Fitzsimmons; as well as a nephew, four nieces, several cousins, extended family, and countless friends, colleagues, and teammates from all stages of his life who will continue to carry fond memories of him in their hearts. 

Besides his wife of 52 years and his parents, his sister Patricia Ernest, brother, Fr. Raymond Chrysostom Finn, and a nephew, Daniel Ernest, preceded him in death. 

In celebration of Bob’s life, funeral services will be held Friday, July 26 with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 AM at Our Lady of Mercy Church, 94 Broad St., Plainville. Committal services with military honors will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery, 169 Farmington Ave., Plainville. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Bob's memory can be made to the Plainville Community Food Pantry, 54 South Canal Street, PO Box 233, Plainville, CT 06062. https://www.plainvillefoodpantry.org/memorial-and-honorary-donations/

 Dunn Funeral Home of Bristol has been entrusted with Bob’s final arrangements. 

www.Dunnfh.com