Frank Finn

Frank Finn, a man of faith and family, was born on September 20, 1928, in Dallas, Tex., and passed away on October 23, 2018, in Dallas at age 90 after a short illness. He is survived by his loving wife of 20 years, Diana; his younger brother, Bill (Eve); his four children David (Melissa), Patrick, Susan (Eduardo) and Sean; and six grandchildren, David, Liam, Rory, Sam, Killian and Remy. He will also be lovingly remembered by stepsons Filippo, Julian and Paolo and step grandchildren Gianni, Luca, Matteo and Siena.

Frank was a “Depression baby” born to Yoland Odell Norman, of Axtell, Tex., and Frank Finn, Sr., of County Armagh, Ireland. His father immigrated to America as a young man to work as a railroad fireman with the Missouri-Kansas-Texas (MKT) Railroad. The Finns moved to Denison, Tex., where Frank Jr. attended St. Xavier Academy through high school, taught by the sisters of St. Mary of Namur. Frank and Bill spent many happy hours hunting, hiking, and swimming in the Red River and later in Lake Texoma. Valedictorian of his high school class, Frank enrolled at age 16 in the University of Notre Dame, Ind. He was a member of the Notre Dame Debate Team that won two national championships including one against Harvard. To help pay for college, he held down various jobs, including grading papers for Father Theodore Hesburgh, C.S.C. Frank graduated magna cum laude in 1949 in economics. He spent two years with the FBI under President Herbert Hoover in Washington, DC, and two years with the US Army Signal Corps in Georgia before attending the University of Texas School of Law and graduating magna cum laude in 1956. During his law school days, it became obvious that with his training in speech and debate, he was destined to be a trial lawyer, and a trial lawyer he became. However, it was not his only career option. Because of his ongoing summer employment in Texas with the MKT railroad as a messenger, clerk, and railroad fireman, he had nine years’ seniority as a fireman and was up for promotion to engineer when he accepted employment in 1956 with the Dallas law firm of Thompson, Knight, Wright & Simmons. Frank “the Tank” tried cases until 2006 and remained at Thompson & Knight in the practice of law until his death.

Among his career highlights was his appearance in federal court in Fort Worth defending Delta Air Lines in lawsuits after the crash of Delta Flight 191 at DFW Airport. He traveled to Iran for Bell Helicopter and later to Yemen for Hunt Oil Co. to handle issues with an oil concession agreement, giving his legal practice an international flavor. Ray Hunt later said their victory in this matter was really one of the jumpstarts for Hunt Oil. Frank bragged that during his 50+ years of the practice of law, he handled and tried cases involving every aspect of civil practice, except antitrust work. His complaint was that antitrust cases took too long, and he had other matters to get into. Among his many professional achievements and awards, Frank was included in The Best Lawyers in America list (widely regarded as the preeminent referral guide to the U.S. legal profession); was admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States; and was honored by the Dallas Bar Association for his pro bono service, particularly for his many years handling adoptions and custody matters for the indigent.

Frank was very close to Jesuit College Preparatory School (attended by his three sons) and the University of Notre Dame, where he cheered on the Fighting Irish at home football games as often as possible and where he and Diana were wed by Fr. Hesburgh. Frank loved his work, so he didn’t go hunting or fishing, and used to say that really, because he so enjoyed his work, he never really worked a day in his life with Thompson & Knight. As an expert in many fields, Frank – “Mr. Finn” to you - mentored generations of young people from high school students to young attorneys at his firm. He shared his time and money generously with charities and causes he believed in and individuals in need. He was an active member and past president of the Notre Dame Club of Dallas. Active in county, state, and national politics, he was interested in good lawyering and good and fair judging. And the judges of Dallas County, both state and federal, were his friends to the end.

Frank made friends slowly, but never forgot his friends, most of whom he outlived. He loved his father’s native land and visited Ireland twice. His Irish prayers and his Christmas newsletters became his trademark. And for sure, if you don’t know the definition of Irish diplomacy, Frank would explain that it is the ability to tell a man to go to hell in such a way that he will look forward to the trip and thank you for it. But Frank was not always diplomatic; to those who thought of him as heavy-handed, his reply was, “For good causes, for truth and justice, having a heavy hand is a blessing.”

A lifelong Catholic, Frank believed strongly that his faith would see him through. His last request: Be happy. Go to church. Hold the fort. Keep the faith.

It will surprise no one reading this far that Frank wrote his own obituary – hello there, dear friends and family! – and it was only slightly trimmed for length by his loved ones. The family wishes to express its appreciation to the Rev. Steve Antes, Bishop Robert Coerver, the Rev. Philip Postell, SJ, Vivyenne Roche, MD, the medical team at UT Southwestern, and Tanya Wadsworth for their loving care and attention to “Mr. Finn” during his lifetime. As Frank was inclined to pray: May the good Lord bless and keep you. Amen.

Visitation will be held at Calvary Hill Funeral Home and Cemetery at 3235 Lombardy Lane, Dallas, on Friday, October 26, from 5-7 p.m. followed by a rosary from 7-8 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 27, at St Rita Catholic Church at 12521 Inwood Road, Dallas, with a celebratory gathering immediately afterwards at St. Rita. A private burial will follow at Calvary Hill. Flowers may be sent to Calvary Hill or a memorial donation made to Boys Town or other Catholic charity.