Kevin B. Finnerty, 71
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. â€' Kevin Barry Finnerty, 71, of Great Barrington, owner of Finnerty & Stevens Funeral Home, died Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2008, at Fairview Hospital.
Mr. Finnerty joined the family business in the early 1970s, purchasing it from his father-in-law, the late Milton Stevens, in 1980. He organized the first successful coordination of organ banks in Massachusetts and was instrumental in bringing hospice services to South County.
He was innovative in his approach to grief and the needs of both the families he served as well as the needs of the community. "It's the little things that make the difference," he said. He believed in treating each family according to their individual needs and recognized that everyone's needs were different.
He recognized the need for a place where services could be held that would accommodate a large group of people. With that in mind, he built an addition to the funeral home that could seat nearly 200 people. He was very proud of what he named "The Great Room."
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Jan. 2, 1937, he was the youngest of six children born to John and Lillian Barry Finnerty. He attended local schools and graduated from Midwood High School in New York City in 1954. He then attended Pace College in New York.
Mr. Finnerty lived in Southern California for 12 years, joining Price Stern Sloan Publishing Co., based in Los Angeles, in 1970. He became the East Coast manager and settled in the Berkshires.
He changed careers at age 38, enrolling in the New England Institute of Applied Arts and Science. He commuted to Boston for two years before graduating summa cum laude in 1977. Mr. Finnerty became a licensed funeral director on Oct. 18, 1977, at the former Stevens Funeral Home.
It was through his efforts in 1980 that the necessary professionals, including the Army National Guard, were arranged carry out a family's request to donate their loved one's organs. He served on the study group for bringing a hospice organization to Southern Berkshire and was elected an officer on the board HospiceCare in the Berkshires. In the early 1980s, he served on the board of trustees for Fairview Hospital. He also was a member of the Lion's Club in Lee and later in Great Barrington.
He married the former Laura Jane Stevens on Aug. 21, 1971, at First Congregational Church.
Besides his wife, he leaves two daughters, Kristin Lillian Finnerty and her husband, Daniel Lanoue, of Housatonic and Meghan Laura Finnerty of Great Barrington; two sons, Army Staff Sgt. Kevin Stevens Finnerty of Fort Campbell, Ky., and Jonathan Barry Finnerty of Great Barrington; his "surrogate" daughter, Sarah Jane Peace of Cambridge, and his sister, Kathleen Johnson of Centreville, Va.
He was predeceased by his brothers Robert Finnerty and Jack Finnerty and his sisters Lillian Chase and Alice Nicholson.
FUNERAL NOTICE â€' Funeral services for Mr. Finnerty will be conducted on Monday, Jan. 5, at 11 from Finnerty & Stevens Funeral Home in Great Barrington by the Rev. Charles VanAusdall. Burial will follow in Elmwood Cemetery.
The family will receive friends on Sunday, Jan. 4, from 2 until 5 at the funeral home.
Those who wish may make memorial contributions to the Southern Berkshire Volunteer Ambulance Squad, HospiceCare in the Berkshires or to the Dr. Dennis F. Tresp Fund at Fairview Hospital, the mission of which will be to support and promote excellence in care for children. Donations may be sent to Finnerty & Stevens Funeral Home, 426 Main St., Great Barrington, MA 01230. Remembrances, memories and reflections may be sent to the family through www.finnertyandstevens.com.