John J. Finn

Hudson, MA

In the early hours of February 24th 2022, John J. Finn was called home to God after a long period of steadily declining health; he was eighty-seven years old.

Born to William and Anna Finn on September 6th 1934, John grew up in Marlborough Massachusetts and enlisted in the United States Army shortly after high school, completing assignments in various parts of Europe including Germany and France. Upon his return, he would meet and later wed the love of his life, Mary Louise "Mary Lou" (nee Charbonneau) of Hudson, with whom he would enjoy over sixty years of marriage. The couple were blessed with one daughter, Maribeth Finn, also of Hudson; from her birth to his passing, Maribeth remained the apple of his eye and his greatest source of pride and joy.

John wasn't one to sit idly by and was happiest while in motion: cooking or grilling, cleaning the house and the swimming pool, running errands or landscaping the sprawling lawn. He could find magic in even the most mundane, and would drop what he was doing to help someone in need. Hospitable and eager to entertain, he was the most gracious of hosts to friends and neighbors. In the rare instances he had some downtime, he enjoyed catching up on local news and listening to his formidable collection of records--Sammy Davis Jr.'s version of "The Candy Man" was a perennial favorite, as were patriotic standards and big band classics. He enjoyed all sports, but the New England Patriots were particularly near and dear to his heart.

Following his time in the Army, he would try his hand at numerous jobs, all largely physical in nature and often while working double shifts. He remained with General Motors for the longest, from the early 1960's until his well-deserved retirement in 1989. The only thing that could tear him away from full time employment ended up being the most important role of his life: that of grandfather to his two granddaughters, Victoria Hixson and Kortney Hixson, both of Hudson. John was notorious for spoiling his granddaughters to pieces. Amusingly, he became something of a local celebrity in the early to mid nineties, often seen pushing them in a navy blue carriage/pram from one corner of Hudson to the other and then back again.

Such a love for life and activity made the aggressive degeneration and later total loss of his eyesight all the more tragic in the mid 2000's. Robbed of his vision but never his spirit, he remained smiling and kept a positive outlook in even the darkest of times. His laughter was raucous and infectious, and he always knew the right thing to do or say to comfort those he loved. Without him, an already dark world seems all the more bleak, but his family will try to match his courage and kindness and honor his memory; that is what he would want.

In addition to Mary Lou, Maribeth, Victoria & Kortney, John is also survived by his sister Anna Steinle and her husband Ken of Greenwich, CT; his brother William Finn and his wife Geraldine of Naples, FL.

Tighe Hamilton Regional Funeral Home, 50 Central Street, Hudson, MA 01749is assisting the family with arrangements. Services will be private.