Gerald E. Finn
1927 – 2014

WESTFIELD – Gerald E. Finn, 86 of Plantation Circle died Monday in Hartford Hospital. He was born in Chelsea and has lived in the Springfield area most of his life. A World War II veteran, Gerald served on the occupational front lines with the 752nd Anti-Aircraft Gun Battalion for the United States Army Air Corps. After graduating from A.I.C. in 1951, he joined the sports staff of the Springfield Union in 1952. He became the Sports Editor and Columnist for the Hartford Times in 1969 and later rejoined the Springfield Union as a columnist and wrote "The Finn-ish Line" until his retirement in 1993. He created the Golf Beat/Coverage at the Union in the 1950's and was a six-time winner of the Golf Writers Association of America writing contest, an annual anthology. His work was selected for several editions of the Best Sports Stories of the Year and for 30 years he has been a contributing editor to The Golf Course Superintendents Association. A recipient of the 47th Annual Tee Party Award, Gerald was inducted into the Western Mass Golf Hall of Fame in 2013. He was a past president and member of the Board of Directors of Edgewood Golf Course. His wife Nancy (Hubbard) Finn died in 1999. He leaves his companion for the past 14 years Jan Mitchell; two daughters Robin Finn of Brightwaters, NY and Cynthia Finn of Southwick. He also leave his extended family Sandy, Todd, Michelle and Drew Rossman and Judy Dickson. A private burial will be held in Woodlawn Cemetery in Suffield, CT and the West Springfield Curran-Jones Funeral Home is handling all arrangements. For more details please visit curranjones.com. Donations in his memory may be made to the Shriners Hospital, 516 Carew Street, Springfield, MA 01104.