Jerome ” Skip” Finnigan 

March 20, 1952 – September 14, 2026 

Skip passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in his apartment in Vancouver, WA on September 14, 2026. 

Skip was born in Richland, WA. The family moved around shortly after his birth for his father’s schooling, and when they returned to the Tri-Cities, Skip attended EWU in Cheney. After graduating he moved to Evanston ILL to get his Master’s Degree in Mathematics, following in his father’s footsteps.  

His remarkable intelligence led him to jobs at Ford Aerospace in Palo Alto, CA, and as a Senior Scientist at Mercer University in Macon GA where he created several patents for the Government, assisting military aircraft and fleet ships at sea. He returned to Richland after his father passed away in 2010, to help his mother, Nancy, who was still living in the large 5-bedroom house that the entire family considered home since 1970. 

Skip had a very dry sense of humor and eclectic interests including mathematics, collecting art and antiques, meeting dogs, carnivorous plants, and beautiful timepieces. He did not surround himself with a large group of friends but he took great pleasure in assisting others in need – whether it be checking in on neighbors who lived alone, picking up delicacies from the bakery or florist and delivering them to assisted care living facilities, driving people to appointments and assisting with yard work, just to mention a few of his very kind gestures.  

He had a very soft, kind heart under his tough exterior that not everyone got the pleasure of seeing. In his later years, he worked hard at connecting with many old, old friends in this day of social media technology! And if you were in his inner circle, he would do just anything to give you a helping hand.  

He is preceded in death by his parents, Jerry and Nancy Finnigan, and is survived by his 3 sisters, Patty, Carol and Janet and two nieces. At his request, there will be no services. If you would like, you may donate to the Wounded Warriors Project, any Animal Shelter or other program that provides services for those less fortunate. 

Skip, ” Let Your Heart Not be Troubled”.  We will miss you so much.