Nearly 100 attend memorial breakfast to remember District Court Judge Finan
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on July 3, 2016 1:45 AM
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News-Argus/ETHAN SMITH
Patrick Finan and John Best talk during a memorial breakfast for the late District Court Judge Tim Finan held Thursday at St. Paul United Methodist Church. The event marked one year since Finan's death.
Family and friends of the late District Court Judge Timothy Finan held a memorial breakfast in his honor early Thursday morning at St. Paul United Methodist Church.
Nearly 100 people attended the breakfast on the one year anniversary of Finan's death Thursday, remembering his life, his career and what he meant to the people of Wayne County.
Finan's 33-year-old son, Patrick, said he couldn't believe how quickly the one year anniversary of his father's death came.
"Obviously, the anniversary is so fast. I can't believe it's been a year," Finan said.
And while his father's absence has certainly caused him and his family pain, Finan said he tried to look at it in a positive light.
"When something hurts really bad, it means it was really good when you had it," Finan said. "Our sentiment then was the same as it is now -- it hurts that he is gone, but it was a gift to have him while we did."
Finan said he was overwhelmed by the number of people that came out Thursday morning to show love and support to his family on the anniversary of his father's death.
"This is the best thing and the most positive thing that could have happened," Finan said. "As overwhelming as it was when he was gone, it's been overwhelming to see how much support we've gotten."
Local attorney Shelby Benton knew the late Finan for 30 years, and said she had hundreds of cases with him between trying cases against him, trying cases in front of him when he was a judge and trying cases beside him as they worked together.
"The very first case I had as a lawyer, I tried it against him," Mrs. Benton said.
Mrs. Benton said Finan came to Goldsboro roughly one year before she did, and that during their time knowing each other Finan was always a great man.
"He was funny, and witty, and really smart and a strong person of the highest morals," Mrs. Benton said. "And he never changed."
Mrs. Benton said it's been hard not having Finan around the courthouse for the past year.
"I miss not having his sage advice and his humor around," she said.
Viola Ryals Figueroa worked on the courthouse's Guardian Ad Litem program with Finan for 11 years before his passing.
"He was very firm on the bench, but he was very helpful outside the courtroom and such a good person," Mrs. Figueroa said.
The last time Mrs. Figueroa saw Finan was in the Walgreens on Wayne Memorial Drive. She said that was where they would always accidentally run into each other, and, true to Finan's personality, would always joke about it.
"We spent so much time together laughing, joking and encouraging each other," Mrs. Figueroa said. "He was just an all-around great guy. I'm still kind of in disbelief that he's gone."
Mrs. Figueroa said she has only been back to the Walgreens on Wayne Memorial Drive once since Finan's death, because she still expects to see him.
"To not see him in family court any more is so hard," Mrs. Figueroa said. You knew he could always ease the tension in a serious situation and put the parents at ease."
Finan, a former attorney for the city of Goldsboro, was appointed to the bench by Gov. Mike Easley in 2007. He began his legal career during his four years of active duty in the U.S. Air Force as a prosecutor and defense counsel. Finan continued to serve in the Air Force for another 24 years as a reservist. During that time, he served as an instructor teaching trial advocacy to Air Force prosecutors and defense lawyers and as a legal adviser for administrative discharge board proceedings.
Finan received the Legion of Merit and was twice recognized as the outstanding reserve judge advocate in the 9th Air Force before retiring with the rank of colonel.
In the local community, Finan served as chairman of the Wayne County chapter of the American Red Cross, president of the Goldsboro Rotary Club, a member of the board of directors of the Wayne County Mental Health Board and a volunteer guardian ad litem.
He graduated with honors from North Carolina State University in 1974 and received his law degree in 1977 from the University of North Carolina School of Law.