Memorial Service for Former NASA Official Terry Finn on August 10, 2014

Terence “Terry” Finn, who spent a good part of his career at NASA Headquarters, passed away suddenly on June 27, 2014.  A memorial service will be held on August 10 in Chestertown, MD.

Finn, 71, was very well known in Washington space-policy circles during the early years of the space shuttle and space station programs.  He began his career on Capitol Hill in 1966 working for then-Senator Joseph D. Tydings (D-MD) before moving on to committee assignments in both the House and Senate.  He then moved to NASA and served in several capacities, including Director of Policy and Plans for the Office of Space Flight, Director of Legislative Affairs, and was a charter member of the Space Station Task Force.  He was an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).

After retiring from NASA, he and his wife, Joyce Purcell, moved to Chestertown, MD where he became active in community affairs and taught a course in political science at Washington College.  Finn had a Ph.D. in Political Science from Georgetown University.

He is survived by his wife of 19 years, Joyce, and two sons from his earlier marriage to Lesley Cohn (who lost her battle with cancer about 20 years ago).  A more complete obituary was published by the Washington Post.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to The Foundation for Kent County Public Library, P.O. Box 24, Chestertown, MD, 21620, or the Humane Society of Kent County, 10720 Augustine Herman Highway, Chestertown, MD, 21620.

The memorial service on August 10 will be at 11:00 am ET at Washington College, Gibson Center for the Arts, Decker Theater, Chestertown, MD.  There will a reception immediately following the service.