Donald Joseph Finn

1938 - 2022

Donald Joseph Finn
Born: May 16, 1938 in Amboy, IL
Died: August 28, 2022 in DeKalb, IL
After a long and brave battle with vascular dementia then Lewy Body Dementia, Donald Joseph Finn, 84, of DeKalb passed away peacefully on Sunday at home surrounded by his wife and daughters. He was born in Amboy, IL, and was the son of Joseph and Victoria (Haluch) Finn. Don graduated from DeKalb High School in 1956 and proudly served in the United States Navy until 1958 where he worked as a cook and laid cables onto the Pacific Ocean floor to track submarines. When he returned to DeKalb, Don worked at Del Monte Foods and Anaconda Wire & Cable Company, and earned an associate degree in accounting from Rockford College. Don and his father, Joe, purchased Pizza Villa and built the current location on Lincoln Highway in 1968. He worked hard to find the best quality ingredients and kept the infamous clown in operation. Don and his brothers were always so proud that Pizza Villa is known as a gathering place for not only their own family, but for countless families in the community. Don was happy to see Pizza Villa continue on as a DeKalb tradition with the 3rd generation added to the fold.
Don and Karen enjoyed 53 years of marriage and they felt blessed to have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2019 at Lake Lawn Resort where they honeymooned in 1969. Don was a lifelong resident of DeKalb and a devout member of St. Mary Catholic Church where he never missed mass. He was a faithful server and opened the church every weekday morning. Don was a 1st Degree member of the Knights of Columbus and was an avid sports fan. He loved all sports: high school basketball and football, Chicago Bulls in the Michael Jordan era, Chicago Bears and especially the Chicago Cubs. Don would joke he cheered the loudest for the college where he was currently sending tuition checks. A major sports highlight of his life was correctly guessing the date of the first-ever night game at Wrigley Field on 8-8-88 and getting tickets for his whole family to witness history. The other was the Cubs World Series win in 2016 which he celebrated by purchasing as much souvenir merchandise as possible for everyone he knew.
Don was a family man who loved celebrating holidays. From carving the family turkey to getting the best seats for fireworks four hours early to giving his signature gift of scratch-off lottery tickets, he was happiest when surrounded by his family. Don was never without a story to tell or a story to elaborate on - complete with his arms waving and a sincere interest in the lives of those around him.
Don's hobbies were endless: fishing trips to Lake Erie with his brothers and friends, hunting, bowling, golfing, gardening, daily morning coffee banter with the guys at Hickey's, rescuing wild animals in his backyard and dancing to MC Hammer at family weddings. Don's greatest pride and joy was being a Dad to his three daughters and especially being a Papa to his five grandchildren. No matter what they were doing, he and Karen immediately drove to be there when each grandchild was born and continued to dote on them every chance they had.
Don leaves behind his wife, Karen, three daughters: Kimberly (Linas) Grikis of Naperville, IL, Anne Finn of Sun Prairie, WI, Kristin (Jon) Adler of Milwaukee, WI; grandchildren Kaitlin, Connor, Emily, Mason, and Owen; brothers: Eugene (Beverly) Finn, Richard (Diane) Finn, and John (Diane) Finn, sister; Janette Lampard; 14 nieces and nephews and 25 great nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Victoria, nephew Brian Finn, sister-in-law Susan Finn, great nephew Jake Verschoor, brother Larry Finn, and brother-in-law Mark Lampard.
Funeral Mass will be held on Friday, September 2, 2022, at 10:30am at St. Mary Catholic Church in DeKalb with Rev. F. William Etheredge officiating. Burial will be immediately following the Mass at St. Mary Catholic Cemetery with full military honors provided by DeKalb American Legion Post #66. Visitation will be held on Thursday, September 1, 2022, from 4:00pm-7:00pm at Finch Funeral Home in DeKalb with a wake service at 6:45pm. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to either St. Mary Catholic Church in DeKalb or Lewy Body Dementia Association www.lbda.org/honor-memorial-gifts. The family is grateful to Visiting Angels and ProMedica Heartland Hospice for the wonderful care. Arrangements were entrusted to Finch Funeral Home 310 Oak St. DeKalb, IL 60115 815-758-3841.