Dr. John Finn, raised in Douglaston, graduated from St. Mary’s High School and Marquette University in 1968.
John’s love of sailing began early as he enjoyed his summers sailing at the Douglaston Club and later as he served as assistant sailing coach at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
Upon graduation from the U.S. Naval Officer Candidate School in Newport, RI, John spent two years in Norfolk, VA assigned to the Navy destroyer, “Hawkins,” serving as Ensign First Deck Officer and then as Lt. Officer charged with anti-submarine warfare, and participated in NATO envoy cruises, Air Force carrier escorts and submarine maneuver oversight.
John’s sea duty was followed by a classified assignment to the Naval Investigative Service (now N.C.I.S.) in Washington, D.C., where during the Cold War he was responsible for monitoring Soviet communications along the East Coast.
Upon leaving the military, John enrolled in Georgetown University Dental School and received his D.D.S. degree in 1976. In 1980, the family moved to Manhasset to be closer to John’s dental practice, where for 36 years he raised his family and cared fondly for the patients who became part of his extended family.
John’s love of the great outdoors extended to natural conservation and animal protection programs of the NRA and The Campfire Club of America. He excelled in trap and skeet shooting, and fly fishing, travelling widely in the U.S., Canada and Labrador.
A strong defender of the Catholic faith, John was a Knight of Malta, a Knight of Columbus and a parishioner of St. Mary’s, St. Aloysius and the Mariner’s Chapel at the USMMA.
John volunteered his dental skills to underfunded dental clinics in Haiti and recruited many dental supply companies to begin a materials donation program to those underserved in Haiti. John also participated in the Pilgrims for Malades to Lourdes, traveling with his wheelchair-bound patients as they took their pilgrimage.
John served in the Midshipmen Sponsorship Program at the USMMA, offering a relaxing afternoon watching the Giants, the Jets or the Mets, and great hospitality to Midshipmen who lived too far away from home to travel over the holidays.
After retiring to Bucks County, PA, John continued to serve, joining the Ottsville Volunteer Fire Department and at age 68, becoming nationally certified as a firefighter and EMT.
As John’s health began to fail, he was blessed with the generous donation of a healthy, new lung. This inspired him to lead the top fundraising campaign for the “Gift of Life” donation program at Temple University lung transplant center thanks to donations from many of you.
John leaves his loving wife of 48 years Fran (nee McLaughlin), daughter Colleen Ridenhour (Brian), Noreen Cadigan (Bill) and John, III (Sarah) and grandchildren whom he adored, William and Kristen Cadigan, and Riley and Keegan Finn.
Mass will be held January 11 at 4pm at the USMMA at Kings Point.
Gifts may be made to Habitat for Humanity International (Atlanta), Ascend Hospice (Lansdale, PA) or the Temple University Hospital Gift of Life Donor Program (Philadelphia).
