John Vincent Finn, 76

John Vincent Finn, a dedicated father, husband, lawyer, and judge, has died.

He passed away at his home in Stevens Point, Wis., on September 19, 2021, following a 20-year battle with cancer, which he fought with courage, calm, and relentless optimism. He was 76.

John served the people of Portage County as a Circuit Court Judge for 27 years. Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson appointed him to the bench in 1988, and he was then reelected to the post for five consecutive terms. He resolved thousands of cases over the years, from small claims matters to major criminal cases. He retired in 2015.

When asked by the Stevens Point Journal what he liked best about his work, he pointed to the challenging work of “trying to solve a relatively complex legal issue that has been well presented by all sides. That is the essence of what it means to be a lawyer and a judge.”

Those who appeared before Judge Finn knew him as a direct and fair judge. Judge Finn kept many notes received upon his retirement, but one stood out: A criminal defense attorney recalled Judge Finn dedicating hours to a particular sentencing hearing after which he rendered what that attorney called “a decision requiring compassion as well as political courage.” The defense attorney reported that he had stayed in touch with the defendant and that years later, the defendant had “justified the risk you took.”

John was born in New York City on July 20, 1945, and grew up with his older sister Mary (whom he called Patsy) in the Morningside Heights section of Manhattan. His father, Vince, was a truck driver for the Texaco Oil Company delivering fuel to gas stations. His mother, Mary, worked for many years in the credit department of the B. Altman & Company department store. John briefly drove an elevator at that same store, greeting customers from the glassware section to the blouse bazaar and everything in between. He attended Xavier High School in Manhattan.

He left New York in 1963 to attend Boston College and fortuitously transferred to Marquette University in Milwaukee, where he met his future bride, Carol Molepske. John returned to New York City in 1967 to attend St. John’s University School of Law. To help pay for law school, he drove a yellow cab where he met many colorful characters. He also learned important driving skills such as maintaining one hand on the horn and keeping the window down at all times (should a fellow motorist need some instruction). After graduating from law school in 1970, John worked for five years as an assistant district attorney in the Bronx, rising to Deputy Bureau Chief of the Major Offense Bureau of the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office.

John and Carol were married in 1974, and two years later moved to Stevens Point. They raised three children, Patrick, Katherine, and Andrew, at their home on Clark Street.

John worked in private practice in Stevens Point for many years as a trial attorney before his appointment to the Circuit Court. He was active in numerous community organizations over the years, including the American Red Cross, the Jaycees, and the Knights of Columbus. He also taught political science at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and served on the Executive Committee of the University’s Academy of Letters and Science.

John enjoyed time with his family and friends, and could often be found at Well’s Landing on the Wisconsin River or enjoying a sunset in Ellison Bay, Wisconsin. He also enjoyed downhill skiing, tennis, singing, tap dancing, and following the Milwaukee Brewers.

To those who knew and loved John, he will be remembered for his kindness and his gift for gab. He could tell a story and make it entertaining no matter the subject matter. Some stories had their own titles: like the flight of the arrow, which involved a spirited chase with a bow-and-arrow wielding youth through Manhattan’s Morningside Park. As one of his friends put it, whenever you were around John something incredible would happen, or at least he could tell a story to make it so.

John is survived by Carol, his son Patrick (and wife Kristin), of Ann Arbor, Michigan, his daughter Katherine (and husband Arnab Ray), of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, and Andrew (and wife Jamie) of New York, New York. John also has six grandchildren, Audrey, Evelyn, Lucas, John (Jack), Alexander and Theodore. He is preceded in death by his parents and sister.

A wake will be held on Thursday, Sept. 23 from 4-7 p.m. at the Bukolt Lodge in Bukolt Park in Stevens Point. A funeral will be held at St. Stephen’s Catholic Church in Stevens Point on Friday, Sept. 24 at 10 a.m., with a visitation at 9 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, John’s family encourages donations to be made in his memory to the University of Wisconsin Foundation’s “Head and Neck Cancer Research Program Director’s Fund – 132901218.” A link to the giving page is available here (https://secure.supportuw.org/give/).