William "Bill" Thompson Finney

William “Bill” Thompson Finney, Jr, age 74, died on November 4th, 2020 in Carmel, IN. Born March 19, 1946 in Indianapolis, IN to Martha Cummings Finney and William T. Finney, Sr., Bill grew up in Indianapolis, attending St. Lawrence, Immaculate Heart, and Cathedral High School. In recent years, he enjoyed reconnecting with Cathedral classmates for lunch and bowling. His career in manufacturing engineering started at Otis Elevator and advanced at McDonnell Douglas Automation Company as a systems engineer for CAD/CAM software. He excelled at programming the tooling of especially difficult parts. His joy for making and fixing things extended to hobbies which he cultivated throughout his life – woodworking, blacksmithing, home repair and renovation. He built furniture, designed a router table, and created a theft prevention switch for his car. Bill was a voracious reader and lifelong learner who enjoyed attending lectures.

In the late 70s, Bill became a single, full-time father for his three children and he rose to the challenge. Despite a career that entailed travel, Bill cheered for his children at most of their sporting events and performances and made family dinner a priority. He encouraged his son, Mark, who had a rare congenital heart defect, to set his own limits and live his life fully and he was a fierce advocate for his healthcare. Bill fostered in his children independence and resilience and instilled in them the importance of education. He was deeply proud when they embraced and lived these values.

It’s no surprise then that he fell in love with Margo, a teacher. They married and blended their family of six children in 1986. Margo and Bill thoroughly enjoyed one another’s company and together they gathered with friends for bridge club, enjoyed theater, played tennis, visited museums, went to festivals, solved crossword puzzles, played scrabble, and explored the country by car and train. They also encouraged each other’s many hobbies and clubs such as Bill’s golfing, men’s discussion group, Nineteenth Indiana North-South Skirmish Association, and Indianapolis Bridge Center and Margo’s passions for knitting, weaving, quilting, and genealogy. They both made connection with their extended families a priority by hosting and attending gatherings including decades of The Great Pig Roast reunion.

Bill is predeceased by his parents and his son, Mark Finney. Bill is survived by his loving wife of 34 years, Margaret “Margo” Hamerstadt Finney; children and stepchildren, John (Dr. Angela Maggard) Finney, Angela (Rob Mumford) Finney, Michael (Tiffany) Ransel, Susan (Spencer) Lueders, and Matthew (Christine) Ransel; 13 grandchildren; and his brothers, Jim, Peter, and Steve Finney.

A memorial will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider memorial donations to the Alzheimer’s Association www.alz.org, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital www.cincinnatichildrens.org, and the American Heart Association, www.heart.org .