Miriam FINNEGAN

Miriam Joyce Blume was born on July 20th, 1930, to Donald (d.1977) and Isabel Blume (d.1993). Miriam passed away Oct. 24th, 2025, at the age of 95. She was the oldest of four, Donna, Leila, and Heather her three younger sisters. Miriam grew up on the South Hill of Spokane and lived across the street from Cannon Hill Park. She graduated from Lewis & Clark High School in 1947. She was president of her class and a straight A student. She also was president of her sorority (Akaga Tanda). She marched with the Ti girls for LC and attended most of the sporting events.

In 1948, Miriam married James (Jim) C. Kenney (d.1994). They had four children, Michael/Miguel, Garry, Jim Jr., and Janice. During the mid '60s and early '70s, Miriam worked as an Avon District Manager winning a "Circle of Excellence" award for her management and leadership skills in 1972. After a divorce from Jim, she married Robert Bell who passed away in 1994. They had previously lived for many years in Port Ludlow, Washington. A few years later she married retired Col. John L. Finnegan (USAF) who passed away in 2011. Miriam lived at Rockwood Retirement South Hill from 2016 until her death. The family is very appreciative of the good care that she received at Rockwood South and the many friends she made there.

Miriam was an avid sailor and loved to play golf. Her father, Don, owner of Inland Mattress & Feather Company (formerly 309 W. 2nd Ave.) until 1972, and past Commodore of the Spokane Sailing Club, had property on Coeur d' Alene Lake, where he instilled in Miriam a love for sailing. Miriam and her second husband, Robert, frequently sailed on Lake Pend Oreille and along the West Coast north towards Canada and Alaska. Miriam was a long-time member of Manito Golf & Country Club, where she enjoyed golfing and socializing with the community there.

Miriam was a very kind and generous person, regularly contributing to and advocating for local charities, such as Morning Star Boys Ranch. In 1969, her youngest child and only daughter, Janice, nominated her for the Spokesman-Review's mother of the year. Although she did not outright win this public award, she won it inwardly in the hearts of her four children. She will be greatly missed. She was preceded in death by her oldest son, Michael/Miguel (d.2020); sisters, Donna (d.2001) Leila (d.2017), and Heather (d.2023); and nephew, Jeff Griffiths (d.2003). She is survived by her three remaining children, Garry (Martha), Jim (Shirley), and Janice (John); nephews, Gil (Linda) Griffiths, Jay (Sharon) Griffiths; three nieces, Diane (Terry) Koentopp, Gina Schellenberger, Amy Schellenberger; nine grandchildren, Barrett (Christina) Kenney, Mira (Jeff) Lund, Leah (Robb) Kenney, Tim (Melissa) Kenney, Jessika (Eyvind) Kenney, Emily (Sam) Bishop, Abe (Bailey) Kenney, Jesse Kenney, Joshua Kenney; and four great-grandchildren, Isabel Lund, Henry Bishop, Joan Bishop, and Neala Piluso Kenney.

No memorial service is planned currently.