June
19, 1925 - Mar. 3, 2010MISHAWAKA - John E. Finneran, 84, passed away Wednesday, March 3, 2010, in his home in Mishawaka, Indiana, with his family at his side. John was born on June 19, 1925, in Columbus, Ohio, to Francis X and Catherine M (Lawler) Finneran. He moved with his family to South Bend, Indiana, at age six and was a resident of the area the rest of his life. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Patrick Finneran, his sister Sr. Francina Finneran, and his brother Raymond Finneran. He is survived by his brother, Col. (Ret.) Thomas Finneran of Newberry, SC; his sister, Margaret Wagner of Summerville, SC; and his brother, Michael Finneran of San Diego, CA. John met Josephine Hembra in 1989 while vacationing in the Philippines. They fell in love over subsequent visits and married on August 8, 1990. John is survived by his caring wife and her father, Phepe Hembra, now both US citizens and residents of Mishawaka. John is survived by his large loving family including eight children, Barbara (Earl) Simon of South Bend, IN; Patricia (John) Larson of Culver, IN; John F Finneran of South Bend, IN; Frank (Suzanne) Finneran of Naperville, IL; Marie (Gary) Koontz of Mishawaka, IN; Tim (Jennifer) Finneran of Mishawaka, IN; Michelle (Michael) Green of Constantine, MI; Jim Finneran of South Bend, IN; and their mother Dorothy (Johnsen) Finneran of South Bend, IN; and eighteen grandchildren, Jeff Simon, David Simon, Brian Larson, Heather (Larson) Robinson, Joshua Larson, Sean Finneran, Shannon Finneran, Meagen Finneran, Kevin Eck, Ryan Finneran, Sara (Koontz) Krieg, Emily Koontz, Tom Koontz, Steve Koontz, Tim Koontz, Brittiany Finneran, Melinda Finneran, and Dustin Altimus; and nine great-grandchildren, Aidan Robinson, Keegan Robinson, Brennan Robinson, Aveleen Robinson, Kayleigh Krieg, Kinsey Krieg, Anthony Simon, Jade Altimus, and Sadie Altimus. John interrupted his studies at Washington Clay High School to serve in the US Navy during WWII. He served on the USS Leary in the Atlantic theater and on the USS Bull in the Pacific theater. John received multiple Purple Heart medals for injuries suffered during the war. John was a proud devout Irish Catholic and put his trust in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He raised his family as members of St. Matthew's parish. More recently he was a member of the St. Jude parish. John was a dedicated worker and worked hard to support his family with long stays at various jobs including: Studebaker, Saint Joseph's Hospital of South Bend, the Wharf Restaurant, and Marian High School. Visitation will be from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, March 7, 2010, in the Bubb Funeral Chapel, 3910 N. Main St, Mishawaka, where a parish Rosary will be prayed at 4 p.m. A mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. Monday, March 8, 2010, at St. Jude Church, 19704 Johnson Rd, South Bend. The burial will follow at St. Joseph Valley Memorial Cemetery in Granger, Indiana. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to The Center for Hospice and Palliative Care, 111 Sunnybrook Court, South Bend, IN 46637.