Father Thomas Patrick Finsterbach S.J.

1946 - 2020

January 15, 1946 - July 8, 2020 Father Thomas Patrick Ferdinand Finsterbach S.J. passed away peacefully on July 8, 2020 at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center, Los Gatos, CA. He was 74 years old and had been a Jesuit for 56 years, 46 of them a priest. Tom was born in Buffalo, NY on January 15, 1946, the oldest child of Thomas Finsterach and Mary Margaret Moran Finsterbach, both teachers. The family moved to Ontario in 1955 and was active at St. George Parish, where in later years Fr. Tom presided at the Children's Mass at Christmas. After graduation from Pomona Catholic Boys' High School (now Damien) in 1963, Tom entered the Jesuit Novitiate in Los Gatos and began studies for the priesthood. His philosophical studies took him to Gonzaga University and the University of Chicago (MA, 1970), and the Jesuit School of Theology, Berkeley (MDiv, 1976). He was ordained a priest at Blessed Sacrament Church in Hollywood, and said his first Mass at his home parish of St. George. He also earned an MA in Architecture from UC Berkeley, (1975) and, in later years, a MA in Biological Sciences (2002) and a PhD in Molecular and Cellular Physiology (2007) both from Stanford University. Tom's ministry was varied. In his early years, he was a high school teacher of Honors English at Loyola High School, Los Angeles, Bellarmine High School, San Jose, and Jesuit High School, Sacramento. His pastoral ministry included a chaplaincy at Juvenile Hall in San Jose where he counseled and taught Bible classes, the Campus Ministry at Stanford University, and parish ministry in the San Jose Diocese, witnessing marriages and officiating at baptisms and funerals. He became the unofficial chaplain to motorcycle clubs in the Bay Area and conducted the annual Blessing of the Bikes every Easter. In the years leading up to his retirement, he was engaged in research at Stanford Medical School on approaches to treating heart failure. He was a man of many talents and interests, who found his relaxation in crossword puzzles and an evening cigar in the garden. Tom was predeceased by his parents, Tom and Molly Finsterbach, and sister, Mary Kashuba of Ontario, and is survived by his sister, Elizabeth Tulac (John) of Claremont, his nieces Megan Tulac Phillips, Shawn Elyse Tulac Clancy, Michelle Tulac, and Vida Kashuba, and six great-nieces and nephews. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, funeral and burial will be private. Donations in memory of Father Tom may be made to the Jesuits West Province of the Society of Jesus, PO Box 68, Los Gatos CA 95031 or to a charity of your choosing. Tom's family will be hosting a virtual memorial as a celebration of his life. The virtual gathering will be held online on Sunday August 2, 2020, if you'd like to attend please check this website for details: www.tomfinsterbach.com