Finneran, John Glennon, VADM

OBITUARY. Reprinted from the Washingtonpost.com:

Adm. Finneran, a Washington area resident since 1978, was born in New York City and raised in Williston Park, N.Y.

He was a 1947 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis. He also was a graduate of the Armed Forces Staff College and the National War College.

His sea duties included service aboard five destroyers, a guided missile cruiser and a landing ship tank.

In 1972, Adm. Finneran commanded a destroyer division off the coast of Vietnam. He was later appointed commander of the U.S. 2nd Fleet and NATO's Strike Fleet Atlantic.

Between assignments at sea, he was an instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy Preparatory School in Newport, R.I., and a project officer with the Commander Operational Test and Evaluation Force. In his final appointment before retiring from active military duty in 1977, he was deputy assistant secretary of defense for military personnel policy.

His military decorations included the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star and the Combat Action Award.

In retirement, Adm. Finneran continued to work and volunteered with a number of organizations. He did consulting work on maritime and defense programs; served as president of the Association for Rescue at Sea, a nonprofit organization that supports search and rescue efforts; and volunteered as a radio reader for Metropolitan Washington Ear, which provides services for the blind and visually impaired.

He also enjoyed sailing, traveling and woodworking.

Survivors include his wife, Lillian Mary Finneran of Silver Spring; five children, Patricia Diepold of Olney, John G. Finneran Jr. of Chevy Chase, William Finneran of Arlington, Sharon Manto of Prosper, Tex., and Kathleen Avsec of Dewey Beach, Del.; a sister; eight grandchildren; and a great-grandson.

Note about USNA graduation date: Although John Finneran was a member of the Class of 1947, that class was graduated early on 5 June 1946.