Search all obituaries on iBerkshires.com:
 Hilbert H. Finn
December 16, 2001
Hilbert H. Finn, 76, of 205 Old Stockbridge Road, a retired insurance agent and active community volunteer, died yesterday morning at Berkshire Medical Center after being stricken at home.
Known to everyone as "Huck," Mr. Finn was a veteran member and former officer of the National Ski Patrol, and a familiar figure on Berkshire slopes, most recently at Jiminy Peak, where he was signed on for this year, his 40th as a patroller.
At one time, he was the Eastern Division representative on the National Ski Patrol board and assistant national chairman of the board.
Mr. Finn received considerable attention in 1980 when he was named to the alpine ski patrol for the Olympic Games at Lake Placid, N.Y. At 54, he was, by a number of years, the oldest ski patrol member on duty.
To join the Lake Placid patrol, Mr. Finn was required to pass stringent tests to assure those in charge that he would be able to fulfill his duties. But in the minds of those who knew him, there was no doubt that he would be up to whatever tasks arose.
It was 26 years later, at the age of 71, that he was determined to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, a 19,340-foot peak in Africa. With the help of intensive training at Lenox Fitness Center, he made the climb.
Interviewed a few months afterward, he commented, "I set a goal, worked toward it and met the challenge."
That was basically how Mr. Finn approached life. He climbed Mount Rainier with his sons, hiked 150 miles of the Appalachian Trail, and was an avid downhill skier, certified scuba diver, marathon runner and fisherman. He also enjoyed travel and, in his retirement, wrote frequent letters to members of Congress and to other public officials.
In October, Mr. Finn realized another dream by traveling to Nepal, where he climbed Mount Kala Patar, a peak near Mount Everest. He was easily the oldest person in the group. Reaching a height of some 19,000 feet, he photographed Everest, two miles above him, and described the trek as the experience of a lifetime.
He was born in Haddonfield, N.J., on March 31, 1925, son of F. Hilbert and Edna Finn.
During World War II, Mr. Finn enlisted in the Navy at the age of 17 and served from 1942-45 as a pharmacist's mate on an attack transport in the South Pacific. He was called back to duty during the Korean War, shortly after graduating from Syracuse University in 1950.
Mr. Finn is survived by his wife of 50 years, the former Charlotte Ruth Allen. The couple were married Sept. 22, 1951.
He also leaves a daughter, Barbara Karen Finn of Charlottesville, Va.; two sons, Peter A. Finn of Sheffield and Bruce R. Finn of Silver Spring, Md., and five grandchildren.
Family and friendships were of primary importance to Mr. Finn, and he took pleasure in skiing with his grandchildren and taking care of the younger ones. In addition, he and his wife hosted Robert Yancey of New York City as a New York Herald Tribune Fresh-Air Fund child 36 years ago and maintained a relationship with him that most recently brought Mr. Yancey to Lenox for Thanksgiving.
Mr. Finn was a retired insurance agent for Massachusetts Mutual Insurance, a position that brought him and his family to the Berkshires in 1965. After living in Pittsfield for a number of years, the couple moved to Lenox.
As a volunteer, Mr. Finn was active on many Berkshire fronts. An environmentalist, he was involved in the original project that created Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary in Pittsfield and served on its advisory committee.
At various times, he served as chairman of fund raising for the Business Friends of Tanglewood, as president of the Center for Berkshire Families and Children, as president of Berkshire County Life Underwriters, as vice chairman of the Berkshire Scenic Railway trustees, as president of the Lenox Library board of managers and as a member of the board of the Berkshire Visitors Bureau.
A memorial service will be held at a date to be announced. There will be no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Lenox Library, 18 Main St., Lenox, MA 01240. Funeral arrangements are being made by ROCHE FUNERAL HOME.
| No Comments have been left |
|
