Robert E. Finnigan

1927 - 2022

Robert E. Finnigan
May 27, 1927 - August 14, 2022
Resident of Los Altos
Robert "Bob" Finnigan passed away peacefully at his home in Los Altos on August 14, 2022, at age 95. Bob was born in Buffalo, New York on May 27, 1927. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1949 and spent the next ten years as an officer in the U.S. Air Force, achieving the rank of Captain. While in the Air Force, he earned his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign. He taught graduate courses in electrical engineering at the Air Force Institute of Technology in Dayton, Ohio, and worked as a senior scientist at the University of California Lawrence Radiation Laboratory (LRL) in Livermore, California. He left the Air Force in 1959, remaining at LRL for two years designing and building control and instrumentation systems for advanced nuclear reactors.
Bob then took a position as a senior research engineer at the Stanford Research Institute, where he was introduced to a recently invented analytical instrument, the quadrupole mass spectrometer. In 1967, Bob co-founded the Finnigan Corporation to realize the potential of this technology, sending his career in a new and rewarding direction.
Finnigan Corporation commercialized the quadrupole mass spectrometer, coupled with a gas chromatograph, and controlled by a dedicated computer (GC/MS). This sophisticated device enabled components of complex mixtures to be quickly separated and definitively identified. Largely due to the work of Finnigan Corporation, GC/MS became the standard method of analysis for environmental pollutants throughout the world, as well as the gold standard for analysis in many other important applications, including toxicology, biomedical research, bio-pharmaceutical research, and drug testing.
Bob was deeply curious about subjects that interested him and had an intense interest in people. When evaluating potential markets he would travel widely, meeting with industry and government leaders, scientists, and technicians to understand the problems they were trying to solve, their concerns, and the challenges they faced. He included them in defining products that would meet their needs. In the process, Bob became a beloved figure in the world of analytical chemistry.
In addition to his work at Finnigan Corporation, Bob was a leading spokesperson on the environment. He co-founded, and for several years led, the Environmental & Occupational Health effort of the American Electronics Association (AEA), which pioneered the movement toward environmental responsibility among U.S. industrial companies. He testified for the AEA and electronics industry before U.S. House and Senate committees dealing with the environment and international trade, helping to pass key environmental legislation. He also led efforts to get world-wide acceptance of U.S. pollution measurement practices. Bob co-founded the U.S. National Working Group on Pollution of the L'Organization Internationale de Metrologe Legale, and served as its chairman from 1982-1988. This group helped gain world-wide acceptance of U.S. pollution measurement practices.
Bob received many honors for his achievements. In 1994 he was selected as a Pioneer in Development of Analytical Instrumentation by the Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry (the premier national conference in this field) and the Pittsburgh Society for Analytical Chemistry. In 1999, he was one of 16 industry pioneers chosen as charter members of the Instrumentation Hall of Fame by the American Chemical Society. He was selected as a "Legend in Environmental Chemistry" by the Pittsburgh Conference and the American Chemical Society in 2009. He also received multiple alumni awards from the University of Illinois.
Bob was a loving husband to his wife of 72 years, a caring father to his seven children, and will be deeply missed by his family. One of his favorite things in life was to share his love of nature and the outdoors with his wife and children. Memories of the Sierras, Santa Cruz, Mt. Diablo, and the Redwoods are woven into all their stories and best moments together. Bob passed his passion for nature on to his children and grandchildren. Their homes, vacations, and get-togethers all revolve around this appreciation of the outdoors and love of strenuous exercise. Bob was also a wine connoisseur with an extensive wine collection and a sensitive and educated palette. A voracious reader, Bob had a particular interest in history and biography. He was also an avid handball and squash player. Bob also loved classical and jazz music.
Bob is survived by his wife, Bette; children Charles, Patrick (wife Keri Tate), Robert Jr., Joan (husband Mark Matteucci), Shawn Mackenzie, Thomas, and Matthew (wife Mary Chris); ten grandchildren and six great-grandchildren and brother Paul.
In lieu of flowers, contributions to Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) at https://openspacetrust.org/, and Race Swami Swimming Enrichment at https://raceswami.org/ would be appreciated.


View the online memorial for Robert E. Finnigan