Obituary of William B. Finneran

Finneran, William Bernard Sr. CLIFTON PARK William Bernard Finneran, Sr., 78, a devoted public servant and family man, who served as New York State Cable commissioner, member of the New York State Assembly, and the Greenburgh Town Council, passed away on Sunday, November 30, 2014 after a courageous battle with small cell lung cancer. Finneran had a great passion for life and for helping others. He left a career as a computer programmer to enter public service. Elected to the Greenburgh Town Council in 1972, he contributed to the development of the first Senior Meal Program, the Greenburgh Town Park and Pool, and the Greenburgh Nature Center, and worked to control electricity costs for residents. Elected in 1976 to the New York State Assembly, Finneran advocated for schools that served children with special needs and was honored as their legislator of the year. He was instrumental in saving Dobbs Ferry Hospital. Finneran led the defeat of Empire State Power Resources Inc. (ESPRI) to protect consumers' rights and prevent the escalation of nuclear power plants in New York State. In 1983, Finneran was appointed by Governor Mario Cuomo to be chairman of the New York State Cable Commission. As chairman, he oversaw the regulation of the cable industry and insured that New York State low-income neighborhoods had equal access to cable services. Finneran mandated that cable companies provide public access channels to communities. He brought New York State court sessions into citizens' homes with the introduction of NYSPAN. Finneran had the vision to require that fiber-optic technology be used as the cable infrastructure that would prepare New York State for the growth of telecommunications. Finneran was born in Brooklyn on February 14, 1936 to Irish immigrant parents, William Francis Finneran and Mary Gordon Finneran. As a child, he shined shoes and delivered newspapers to help cover the cost of groceries for his family of 11. After graduating from Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Brooklyn, he was awarded a scholarship to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he studied industrial engineering at the Sloan School of Management. Finneran was an avid football fan who regularly wrote in suggestions to the NFL, a few of which were adopted by the league. His passionate ideas about football lead him to be hired as a consultant to the short-lived World Football League, which implemented his "action point." His "color dynamics" proposal in which players wear pants color-coded to their positions was intended to help spectators better understand and follow the game but, when implemented, was not well received by some of the players, such as Larry Csonka. Finneran is survived by his devoted wife Kathleen Wilde Finneran; his children, MaryElizabeth, William, Jr. and his wife Melissa, and Christina and her husband Paul First; his grandchildren, Seneca, Liam, and William Wilde; his sister Mary Catherine Folke; and brothers Andrew, Brian and Peter. Visiting hours at Thomas Glynn Funeral Home , 20 Lincoln Avenue, Rockville Centre, begin at 9:30 a.m on Saturday, December 13, 2014 with the celebration of life ceremony at 11:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in Bill's honor can be sent to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 777 Broadway, Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591. http://www.legacy.com/guestbooks/timesunion-albany/william-bernard-finneran-condolences/173391066?cid=full#sthash.TBceCHBZ.dpbs