R.I.P. John Edward Finn: Pro-Life Hero Goes Home to the Lord. Pro-Life Family continues His Work

John's decades of pro-life leadership and activism began before Roe v. Wade.

REDONDO BEACH, CA (Catholic Online) - John Edward Finn, Jr., 72, of Redondo Beach, peacefully passed away Saturday, December 12, 2009 at his home in Redondo Beach, California with family members at his side after a valiant battle with cancer. John was a dedicated Catholic, devoted spouse, wonderful father, former teacher at Jesuit Dallas, successful businessman, conservative publisher and a pro-life leader.

Born in Dallas, Texas on November 12, 1937, John was a 1955 graduate of Jesuit High School in Dallas and a 1959 graduate of the University Of Notre Dame. John is survived by his wife Sherry, their six children, J.T., Dennis, Sue Cyr, Kevin, Mary Kent and Kathleen Miller, their spouses, 17 grandchildren, one sister and three brothers.

A talented athlete, John was boxing champion in the annual Bengal Bouts at the University of Notre Dame... and then later in New York City, the former heavyweight champion of the world, Jack Dempsey, kindly advised John to get married and have a family, rather than pursue dangerous, professional boxing.

John and his wife Sherry and their first four children moved from Dallas to California in 1966 where he took a job with "Contructive Action" to help maintain and defend the freedoms that bless us here in America.

They were key figures in the American conservative movement in the 1960's. Together, they helped Ronald Reagan's political career by publishing and mailing out, from their kitchen, 500,000 copies of the book The Reason for Reagan. John met the future President Reagan while helping publish this book.

John was a beloved mentor and friend to many Young Americans for Freedom members in Southern California, some of whom later founded or headed conservative groups or served in the Reagan White House and in Congress.

Pro-life Hero

John's decades of pro-life leadership and activism began before Roe v. Wade. He published and distributed huge quantities of pro-life literature and bumper stickers, while also praying and protesting abortion, including nonviolent peaceful "rescue" sit-ins for which he went to jail.

John's Career included: high school teacher, ownership of a speed reading business, promotion director for Twin Circle Publishing, founded a mailing list sales and rental business, invented the career of advertising copywriters' agent, and fostered the careers of many of today's top advertising writers. He loved putting people in touch with each other and was always encouraging and inspiring people to be their best and excel in every area of life.

Eldest son, J.T. Finn (John Timothy) spoke of his beloved father's passing:

"I remember my parents packing us kids into the station wagon that day to go picket a California Medical Association meeting at the L.A. Convention Center. It was 1972, before the Supreme Court imposed abortion on all 50 states in its Roe v. Wade ruling. Before Roe, my parents saw the "writing on the wall"... they knew it was urgent... and they decided we must do something as a family... to fight abortion... to wake people up... to save babies, moms and families.

"They published and distributed huge quantities of pro-life literature and bumper stickers, while also praying and protesting abortion, including Helpers of God's Precious Infants, and nonviolent peaceful "rescue" sit-ins for which they both went to jail."

"For 40 years John Finn helped to save tens of thousands of women and babies from abortion. He helped many national and international pro-life organizations. For example, he was a friend and adviser to Fr. Paul Marx and Human Life International for many years."

Inspired by John and Sherry's pro-life action, their oldest daughter, Sue (Cyr), became Project Coordinator for Operation Rescue's efforts in the Western States in the early 1990's. Later, Sue became Fr. Frank Pavone's Administrative Assistant with Priests for Life. And when she moved to Dallas, Texas to marry pro-life leader Tom Cyr, Sue helped the Bishop's pro-life group grow to become one of the largest and most effective diocesan pro-life groups in the country.

J.T. Finn was inspired to form Pro-Life America, to organize Life Chains in Los Angeles, to produce pro-life TV shows with Fr. Frank Pavone at EWTN, to produce the Spanish version of the video Hard Truth (Dura Realidad) with Hispanics for Life (and a recent newer version with BELLA actor Eduardo Verastegui), to travel to Cairo, Egypt in 1994 to fight Planned Parenthood's international abortion agenda at their U.N. meeting, to distribute millions of copies of pro-life LoveMatters.com literature on high school and college campuses, and to launch Prolife.com and LoveMatters.com web sites.

All six Finn children continue to spread pro-life messages where ever possible... at home, work, and parish and beyond. Indeed it is no coincidence that John passed away peacefully on December 12th, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of Unborn Babies. His son J.T. said of his fathers passing, "He died a peaceful and holy death at home (of cancer) on December 12, 2009, the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Unborn Babies. I was holding his hand when the angels came for him."

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS:

PRAYER VIGIL & VIEWING
Monday Night, December 21 - 7:00 p.m.
St. James Catholic Church
415 Vincent Street, Redondo Beach

FUNERAL MASS
Tuesday, December 22 - 10:00 a.m.
St. James Catholic Church
415 Vincent Street, Redondo Beach

BURIAL AND RECEPTION
Tuesday, December 22 at 12:00 Noon
Holy Cross Cemetery - St. Francis Section
5835 W. Slauson, Culver City

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