David W Finn

It is with great sadness that the family of David W. Finn M. D, announces his passing on April 8, 2020, from Covic-19. David will lovingly be remembered by his wife of 30 years, Sharon Greene MD and their son, Brian David. He will also be fondly remembered by his cousins Msgr. Peter Finn, Mary Driscoll, William Finn and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. David was predeceased by his father, Edward, his mother Victoria and his brother Edward.

A life-long Staten Islander, David was born in Travis, Staten Island, on November 12, 1953. He attended Blessed Sacrament Grammar School, Msgr. Farrell High School, St. Peter’s College and then graduated from “La Sapienza” Medical School in Rome, Italy. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at St. Vincent’s Medical Center and worked for St. Vincents’s and Bayley Seton Hospitals. He then found his niche in life. He felt he could do the most good by helping those with substance abuse issues. He became the Medical Director of the Opioid Treatment Program at Water Street, worked at Samaritan Daytop Village and NYU Langone Regional Radiology.

David was a Renaissance man. He could give a tour through any church or museum in Rome, Paris and London and New York. He spoke several languages fluently. He could entertain anyone on any topic-- history, politics, science, music, astromomy. He was an avid reader. He was an accomplished artist early in life, a talented carpenter and a gifted photographer. He divided his time between the two most important areas of his life: his family and his patients and staff.

David found his calling when he began helping those with substance use issues.

To say that David enjoyed his work is to put it lightly. He had a unique gift for it, say those who knew and worked with him. He was an extremely astute diagnostician, and just as importantly, he treated each of his patients with extreme respect. They were not used to that in life. They would tell him that and it was the foundation for wonderful bonds between him and his patients. He would ask them about their life stories. He wanted to know what made them tick so he could find the best way to help them. He and his patients trusted each other and they were grateful to have him. With his thoroughness and compassion, he changed the lives of many many people. He treated everyone with respect and his patients and his staff adored him. He was fair, straight-forward, with a sincere dedication to his patients. He wanted each one to have a productive happy life. He would not tolerate anyone not doing his or her part. If they didn’t, his “Irish came out.”

He was very thorough and never missed a medical issue. They all felt incredibly well taken care of. He ran a tight ship. His staff became his friends. He had an incredibly biting sense of humor that he shared with them and they enjoyed. He truly cared about each one of them. Days at work were extremely busy, chaotic at times, but good hearted and full of joking and caring. David and his co-workers grew to truly love working together. It is not many people who can say today that they truly enjoy their job and even more so, enjoy the people they work with. His staff became his “extended family” in every way, including birthday parties and holiday luncheons. At night at dinner he would share the crazy jokes of the day at work, often receiving funny texts from staff members while eating dinner. He was thrilled working with them and they with him.

One might think David considered his career his greatest accomplishment in life. No. Instead David considered his greatest accomplishment to be his family, especially his son, Brian. He would say, I know my Irish grandmother would say “everyone thinks their goose is the whitest, but Brian is the best son a person could have, an extension of my love my wife and I have for each other.” Brian and his father shared a particularly close bond. They were inseparable, often travelling together. No two could be closer. They shared interests and laughter. Brian learned about Bocelli and David learned about Florida Georgia Line. They had a very unique bond. David’s life was one of compassion and love. He took special care of his family. No one loved his family more than he did and they him. He was a rare breed of Man, Doctor, Father, Husband and Friend. Irreplaceable. He helped everyone around him in a caring and capable way. Everyone. If anyone needed any help with a medical issue, David was front and center and did an extraordinary job. He would find the right specialist in a few hours. For anyone and everyone.

David lived his life the way he wanted. Family first and work a close second. He loved, he laughed, he worked so hard. He lived this crazy thing we call life. What we wouldn’t give to see him or touch his hand one more time. As Brian says, “All I can think of is St. Augustine’s prayer: I won’t ask you God why you took him but I will thank you for having given him to us. He was the best father and husband in the world and I know he will always be with us in spirit, taking care of us as he always did. We will still miss him more than life itself. God bless you Dad, in heaven.”

Harmon Funeral Home handled all arrangements. There will be a memorial celebration at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please feel free to make donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Christopher’s Reason (www.christophersreason.org) or the charity of your choice in David’s memory