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Joan M. Finn

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New York University

FUNERAL HOME

Allwood Funeral Home - Clifton

660 Allwood Road

Clifton, New Jersey

Joan Finn Obituary

FINN
Joan M. (Cline), of Clifton, the arts and entertainment editor at the Montclair Times passed away on Friday, September 6, 2013 while in the care of New Jersey Hospice with family by her side. She was 82. Sadly, the arts community of the Montclair-Clifton area lost one of its strongest supporters in Joan Finn. Joan started her career as a production assistant with CBS after graduating from NYU with a degree in television and radio. After having her five children, she returned to pursue her media career as a writer. She had a passion for the arts and the written word. Joan started at the Montclair Times in 1977 as a staff writer and has been the arts editor for the past 15 years. Her career also included previous writing positions at newspapers in Clifton, The Record and Paterson News. She's been recognized for her work at the Times, earning multiple awards for her writing and her section design from the New Jersey Press Association, as well as other awards from the NJPA and the Society of Professional Journalists. The arts community appreciated her work and dedication, and was charmed by her kindness and brilliance. She was always willing to offer assistance and guidance to new and seasoned artists in the area. Joan was married to Patrick M. Finn for 36 years, and resided in Clifton, where they raised five children. Her husband Patrick died in 1991 and her oldest daughter, Daria passed away in 2009. Surviving are her two daughters; Shelia Finn of Santa Barbara, CA and Keelin Finn of Clifton, two sons; Neil Finn of Brewster, NY and Liam Finn of Van Nuys, CA, a daughter-in-law Maureen Claypool, a grandson Colin Finn, and two sons-in-law; Barry Punzal and Joe Cardenas. Funeral services will begin 9:15 AM Thursday, September 12, at Allwood Funeral Home, 660 Allwood Road, Clifton, NJ 07012 with a 10 AM Mass at St. Philip the Apostle R.C. Church, Valley Road in Clifton. Burial will follow at Immaculate Conception Cemetery in Upper Montclair. Visiting are Wednesday, September 11, 2-4 and 7-9 PM. Donations to St. Labre Indian School, Ashland MT, Hospice of NJ or the local Arts Group of your choice in lieu of flowers would be appreciated. www.allwoodfuneralhome.com

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Published by The Record/Herald News on Sep. 10, 2013.

Memories and Condolences
for Joan Finn

13 Entries

Terry Y

September 5, 2019

Mrs Finn you were always the lady. So many good times at your home( some you knew about and some not so much). Your famous Finnmobile dropped us off and picked us up at many a good time. You had such a warm heart. I can just see you and Daria doing some errands for our Lord Jesus. Knowing Daria she will want to make a few side stops. RIP Mrs Finn you were an amazing lady❤❤

Cindy Stilger

September 12, 2013

My sincere and heartfelt condolences to the Finn family. Always loved your Mom, and remember vividly how generous she was with her time when we were growing up. She will truly be missed by so many.

Mike & Barbara Lillo

September 10, 2013

Our most sincere sympathy on the loss of your Mother. Our thoughts and prayers our with you all. Mike & Barbara

Rhoda Kriesel

September 13, 2013

Joan made a huge contribution to the arts in Montclair. When we established the Montclair Arts Council in 2004 she understood our goals and supported our innovations like Passport to Remembrance, and the Gallery Walk, and the Destination Montclair campaign. Thank you, Joan, for your guidance, your expertise in promoting the arts, and for your devotion to making Montclair an arts center. A wonderful legacy.

Mary Braun

September 12, 2013

Mrs Finn was such wonderful lady she put up with all us hippies hangin out at her home back in the early seventities and lets not forget the Finn mobile arriving at St.Philips as the bell would be ringing . My thoughts and prayers are with her beautiful Family .

Christina Leedham

September 11, 2013

I am so sorry Keelin for your loss. Your mom is an amazing woman whose love for writing is such an inspiring quality. It would've been an honor to learn from her and my prayers are with everyone.

Robin Spielberg

September 10, 2013

Whenever I spoke with Joan on the phone I could hear her smile through the telephone line. She was always warm, friendly and such a strong supporter of arts in New Jersey. I will forever be grateful for Joan's support and enthusiasm over the years. I will miss her very much. My condolences to her family, friends and co-workers.

Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta

September 10, 2013

My condolences to the family. I worked closely with Joan at Montclair Times from 2001 to 2008. She was such an inspiration to me and a good friend. She will be greatly missed.

September 10, 2013

Joan was truly an amazing woman, journalist, huge supporter of the arts and a true friend.

She gave an incredible amount of support to me and all of my projects, which I'll always be deeply grateful.

Sometimes Joan would call and tell me about new artists she had met, or performances that she had seen, or maybe just to talk about some ideas that she had for new projects. I will really miss those talks, she was always so inspiring.

When I started the concert series at Allwood Community Church and was looking for a title for the series, Joan immediately got it..she told me..call it "Music for the Soul", which I did, and that will be one of the many legacies that she has left behind.

She served our artist community with great professionalism and with genuine caring and support.
She will be greatly missed.
Diane Moser

Susan Leedham

September 10, 2013

What a life to be celebrated! I have only met Joan a few times , but have known her for many years as Keelin and I have been friends since high school. She has amazed me at her dedication and continued passion for her work. I could not believe the long hours she would put in at her job. To work up until 82(and I know she would have kept on working) is truly a gift. How many of us can say that we found a job that we love so much that we want to stay at until we have to retire?
When my 2 girls were little, Joan would keep Keelin informed on what was going on around town that might be fun for the girls. We always knew when the July 4th fireworks would be at Brookdale Park and who would be playing there prior to the firework display. She was our in, our connection around town.
I am amazed at her life story and all the lives she touched . She had something rare and really should be an inspiration to us all. With commitment , dedication and the love for what you do, you can accomplish a lot in life.
Susan, Chris, Alison and Christina

Don Cudworth

September 10, 2013

Keelin as years fly by we sometimes think
of people from our youth that we shared some great memories with and a smile comes to our face while life goes on they are not forgotten. I hope that the memories you shared with your mom will always bring a smile to you. My condolences on your loss

Gail Stein-Raymond

September 10, 2013

I knew Joan as a wonderful & warm neighbor. One of my favorite Finn memories was staring out our front window at Christmas time & seeing that white tree (or was it aluminum?) with the color wheel changing it constantly. My condolences to the family.

Keelin Finn

September 10, 2013

To capture the essence of my mom in this short moment is an impossible task.
My mom was an amazing woman, who lead a fabulous and complex life. There were so many facets to her, she was our jewel.
For those of you who encountered her she will be hard to forget, for those of you who knew her, you will be forever blessed.
She was more than inspired by the Arts, she was a part of them and attended numerous functions in love and support of them. She touched many lives, but was equally touched by those lives in return.
She was definitely not your typical mom and for this I am eternally grateful. Over my lifetime I discovered her kindness, her humor, her passion for life, the essence of who she was.
She taught me about forgiveness and unconditional love without even saying one word. Her integrity and commitment to what she believed was unmatched. She wasn't perfect, but she was beautiful in so many ways. ?
She was a woman ahead of her time, yet right on time. She was the mom we all loved and needed, the friend we will all remember with great joy.
The amount of peace we had at her passing was the outrageous Grace of God
I miss her greatly and I am confident that I will see her when I am home in Heaven.
We often quoted Kim Clement on our rides to work:
“We are somewhere in the future and we look much better than we look right now”
She is in that place now and she looks fabulous.

Love Keelin

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