Mary Kelly Finley

1945 - 2022

Old Lyme - On the afternoon of July 8, 2022, Mary Kelly Finley died peacefully surrounded by her caring family. She had faced her fights with cancer and its complications for decades with a strength and willpower that amazed us all. Never the victim, she took on the role of unwavering leader, reminding us that "you cannot control the wind, but you can adjust your sails." Mary met her days with kindness, intelligence and, if necessary, a remarkable tenacity. A fiercely loyal wife, mother and grandmother, she loved her family and close friends deeply and without condition. She was a proud and humorous woman whose mood could turn quickly if she encountered cruelty, self-aggrandizement or an impossible fool. Her unrestrained barbs toward exhibitors of those traits were often biting and always memorable. The world always knew where they stood with Mary Finley.

Born May 19, 1945, to Robert and Georgiana Kelly of Wethersfield, Mary was the fourth of five children. After escaping Hartford's Saint Augustine School, Mary attended Mount Saint Joseph Academy in West Harford. She then matriculated to Elizabeth Seton College in Yonkers, N.Y., where among other accomplishments she gained lifelong friends and served as President of Student Government. She then concluded her college experience at Our Lady of the Elms in Chicopee, Mass. Mary would later earn a Master of Science in Early Childhood Education at Saint Joseph's College in West Hartford.

Upon graduating, coming home meant continuing a growing relationship with a young man she had first met a decade earlier when he spiked her while sliding into third base on a softball field. History cannot recall whether the runner was out on the play, but unfortunately for young George Finley, witnesses have confirmed again and again who won the ensuing fight on that dusty field. And though it may have started with a kids' conflict, the real, enduring foundation of the relationship between George and Mary was a strong and caring one, brimming with laughter, love and true affection. This partnership has been celebrated for 53 years and been the model for their three children, Clark, Meghan and Patrick.

Before raising those children in West Harford, Mary had been an elementary school teacher in the Wethersfield school system and Webster Hill School in West Hartford. When she elected to stay home with her growing family, Mary kept her brain and person busy with many organizations, most notably at St Francis Hospital. There she served as corporator as well as longtime member and then President of the Women's Auxiliary. Her years at the Auxiliary were fun and productive times working often long hours with women she enjoyed and admired. In later years after she'd moved down to the shore, Mary enjoyed playing an active role on the Old Lyme Shores Board of Governors. But the best part of moving to their home in Old Lyme was the time George and Mary could spend together golfing at Black Hall Club, cruising Long Island Sound fishing, taking a quick trip to Sag Harbor for lunch, sitting on a beach chair with a dear friend or entertaining the daily passersby that George had coaxed into conversation. A couple of winters were broken up by a month or so in Florida, but mostly these years have been spent at Old Lyme Shores in the town where their story began. As it should be.

In time, it's the role as grandparent that brought Mary enormous joy. And her grandchildren loved their "Mae". So many OLS 4th of July parades saw a growing group of Finley grandkids, and so many times with them featured on the most creative float conceived and designed by the most amazing grandmother at the beach. Mae is survived by her "perfect" grandchildren, Georgianna and Tommy Finley, Sybil and Theodore Neary, and Mackenzie, Quinn, Kieran and Rhys Finley.

Mary is survived by her three children and their spouses, Clark Finley and Christine Bartus of West Hartford, Christopher Neary and Meghan Finley of Old Lyme, and Patrick and Linda Finley of Glastonbury. She is also survived by siblings, Joel and Barbara Kelly of Mystic, James and Eileen Kelly of New London, and Sheila Dean of Ivoryton. She was predeceased by Walter Dean in 2019 and her beloved younger brother, Gregory Kelly in 2017.

A funeral mass has been scheduled for at 11 a.m. Thursday, July 14, at Christ the King Church in Old Lyme. In lieu of flowers, the Finley family has requested donations to either Cleveland Clinic Cardiac Center, P.O. Box 931517, Cleveland, OH, 44193 or The Women's Auxiliary at Saint Francis Hospital, 114 Woodland Street, Hartford, CT 06105. To leave condolences, or for more information, please visit Farleysullivan.com.