Jack Finer passed away February 17, 2018 at the age 80. He was born on March 30, 1937 in Boston, MA to Edward and Frieda (Adler) Finer. He was a graduate of Boston Trade School and subsequently owned an automotive repair business on Blue Hill Avenue in Dorchester. He is survived by his wife of 60 years Sandra (Baker) Finer, his daughters Lisa (Finer) Anderson and her husband Michael, of Grafton, MA, and Karen (Finer) Briggs and her husband Tom of Northborough, MA, as well as his grandsons Jacob and Nicholas Briggs. He is also survived by his brothers, Stanley Finer and his late wife Edythe, of Randolph, MA and Ernest Finer and his wife Barbara, of Surprise, AZ. He also leaves behind many nieces and nephews who will miss him greatly.
Jack would often tell the story of meeting his beloved Sandra at the age of 13, and knowing right then and there that she was the only one for him. Sandy called Jack a dreamer; he was always reaching for a way to give his family the moon and stars. He would always tell his family and his extended family that when he hit it big in the lottery he was going to buy everyone houses and cars. For his precious Sandra, he would bring her flowers after every payday at the market, telling her that “she deserved beautiful things.” In these last few months of his life, when anyone visited him in the hospital, or spoke with him on the phone, he always made that person promise to make sure his beloved Sandra was taken care of; “his Sandra with the beautiful blue eyes” he would say.
Jack loved his family fiercely. He was close to his brothers Stan and Ernie, and often spoke with them on the phone. Even after Ernie and Barbara moved to Arizona, he continued to talk with Ernie multiple times a week. He was devoted to his family, even if he had a hard time expressing that devotion. In recent years he often spoke with Stan’s son Ron and his wife Karen, telling them how he was so proud of his children and grandchildren.
For Jack and Sandra, there was never such a thing as an “… in-law”; when you married into the family you were a Finer for life. He would often call and check on the smallest health issue for family members, even with any of his nieces and nephews or their children. He was even known to show up at the hospital when a new baby was born. One of Ron & Karen’s fondest memories was the day he held his great nephew Edward when he was born; he cried when he held his great-nephew who was named for his father.
He always tried to be a presence at family occasions. One memory of him that is always shared among the family is that his great nieces and nephews knew him as “Uncle Chainsaw”. As background, during one of the family holiday celebrations he was entertaining the children telling them how he would use a chainsaw to cut deli for his job in that department at the Stop and Shop supermarket. Then he would sneak up behind one of the children and make chainsaw noises. First the kids would jump, then they would break out in peals of laughter. Even the kids of his customers had a nickname for him; they would call him “The Cheeseman” because he was always ready with a smile and a fresh slice of cheese for them.
In later years when his health declined, the telephone became his lifeline. Sometimes he would call just to say “hi”; other times he would be ready for a long conversation full of stories from his youth. You were never sure whether to believe his stories; he always liked to embellish his stories for added entertainment value. There was even a time when he offered to borrow the store’s chainsaw to “take care of a boy who dared break a great-niece’s heart.” Even in these later years his trade school background shined through. He could tell you what was wrong with your car just by listening to it, and he had got lots of joy from his great-nephew Jake’s interest in auto repair. He and his great-nephew talked many times about cars, car parts, car engines and other such related topics. He also took interest in family pets; he was a huge fan of dogs. He would even call his nephew Howie and his wife Sherri and then ask to talk to their dog Charlie. Then he would ask to talk to anyone else at home.
Finer family gatherings will be a lot less colorful without Jack. Telephones won’t ring as often, but we’re sure he knows we will all take care of his beautiful Sandra. We will make sure his stories live on for many generations to come. Jack’s was a long and often difficult journey, but we know he gave it his full heart and soul. Rest well our husband, father, grandfather, uncle, knowing you were very loved.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you consider donations to an organization that was very important to Jack:
Joslin Diabetes Center
One Joslin Place, Suite 745
Boston, MA 02215
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