Elizabeth (Betty) Ann Finn, Ph.D., clinical associate professor in the Graduate School of Education, passed away on Nov. 30 in Providence, R.I. surrounded by her loving family, after the sudden onset of leukemia.
Elizabeth was born on Nov. 21, 1942 in New York City, the daughter of the late Rose Kelly Finn and James A. Finn. She is predeceased by her brother James Anthony II.
She is survived by her brothers Robert; John and his wife, Joan; Donald and his wife Regina; Gerald and his wife Joan, and her sister Rosemarie and her husband Chuck Clarke. Betty was a beloved Aunt to twenty-six nieces and nephews.
Elizabeth graduated from St. Barnabas Grade School and High School in Woodlawn, N.Y., and received a bachelor of arts in special education from Manhattan College.
Her studies and career focused on childhood education; as a teacher in the Yonkers, N.Y. school system for many years; more recently in the Plainfield, Conn. schools while residing in Narragansett, R.I., and most recently bringing her back to New York to teach at Fordham University’s Graduate School of Education at its Lincoln Center campus.
In addition, she received a doctoral degree in school psychology from Fordham University; a post-doctoral certificate in neuropsychology from Fielding Graduate University; and was a member of the American Psychological Association.
Betty traveled around the world with dear friends, returning to China on several occasions with an appreciation for Eastern writing & philosophy. She loved to cook for family and friends, and was an avid fan of early and contemporary jazz and classical music.
Friends say that Elizabeth embraced life with exuberance, independence and the determination to fight the good fight with grace. Her presence affected all of those around her. She will be deeply missed by her family and friends.
A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at noon on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009 in the Rupert Mayer, S.J., Chapel at Fordham University, Room #221, Lowenstein Building (113 West 60th Street, New York, N.Y. 10023).
Donations may be made in Betty’s name to:
