Gene Finney

Gene Finney, 90, of Robinson, IL, passed away on March 2, 2025, at Crawford Memorial Hospital surrounded by his family.

He was born July 12, 1934, in Casey, IL, to Arthur and Clorean (Brandenburg) Finney. He spent his early years raising award-winning pigs, playing sports, the trumpet, and farming with his family. He graduated from Hutsonville High School in 1952 before serving his country in the U.S. Navy Air Corps during the Korean War. As an Aviation Machinist's Mate and Air Engineer Mechanic, he kept the F6F Hellcats and Corsairs in the sky. After three years of active duty, he remained in the Navy Air Reserves for an additional five years. During this time, Gene played Taps at military services across the tri-county area, and it was at this point in his life that he met Shirley McNabb. Four months later, they were husband and wife, partners for nearly 70 years.

Gene didn't just build things—he built legacies. He started and operated multiple machine shops, including Bluegrass Tool & Die and later Finney Impression Tool & Die Corp., crafting precision parts with the same exacting standards he applied to life itself. Gene was part of an organized group of journeymen machinists in the Louisville, Kentucky area, that was instrumental in creating the machinist co-op program for the Jefferson County High School trade pipeline that shaped generations—including his own grandson. Still, Gene was never one to stand still. In the 1980s, he took to the skies, earning his pilot's license and flying his own plane. After retiring, he enjoyed restoring tractors, making birdhouses, gardening, reading, and spending time with family and friends. His hands were always busy, his mind always working.

He had a deep love for history, travel, visiting museums, and fishing trips with his wife and grandchildren. Though he wasn't one for sentiment, his devotion and patience spoke louder than words—especially to Shirley. Every Sunday, he made sure she was at their home church, Bellair Church of Christ, even when her memory loss made the journey more difficult.

Gene Finney never needed to announce himself. He lived, worked, and loved with quiet strength—a life measured not in words, but in the things he built and the people he shaped.

He is survived by his children, Pam Keating (Jeffersontown, KY) and Dana Finney (Greenwood, SC); his grandchildren, Courtney & Angela Woods, Ryan Troy Woods, Heather Woods, and Travis & Tara Finney; his great-grandchildren, Corey & Paige, Jackson, Maggie, Kelsey, Kayleb, Nick, Jacob, and Brianna; his sister, Doris Adams (Huntsville, AL); and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Shirley; parents; his son, Kelly Ryan Finney; his brother, Charles Thomas Finney; his mother and father-in-law, Frank H. and Zelma (Miller) McNabb and his brothers-in-law Robert Adams and Sonny Potts.

A time of visitation will be held from 10:00-11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 8th, at the Goodwine Funeral Home in Robinson. A funeral service will immediately follow at 11:00 a.m., with Celebrant Curt Goodwine officiating. Burial will be in Walnut Cemetery, rural Clark County, IL. Memorial contributions may be made to "Samaritan's Purse" , with envelopes available at the funeral home.