Albert L. Finston

March 4th, 2015

I rode the Metra train with Al for many years. We had many interesting conversations. I was just thinking about him and saw this notice. So sad to hear of his passing. He was a wonderful and kind man – full of humor.

~Mickie
~Friend, Chicago, IL

April 24th, 2014

Below are the remarks I shared at my grandfather’s funeral.

Hi, My name is Ahava and I am the eldest granddaughter. My grandpa often referred to me as Miss America, which I fondly adopted and worked hard to live up to. That was the thing about my grandpa, there was no comparable feeling in the world to making him proud and as you heard from all of his grandchildren he inspired us every step along the way to become bigger, better, and to have a profound impactful on the world, hoping that maybe just an ounce of one of our accomplishments could live up to the impact he has made.

As my brother mentioned grandpa was the guy to go to for advice. He played a hand in every major life decision I’ve ever made, from moving across the country to plotting professional moves and attending graduate school, every step along the way he kept pace with my every move, advised me when to push and when to be patient.

He pulled many of us through some of the toughest moments of life. No matter how you felt grandpa always had a way of showing you the light, how to stay grateful and gracious and make sure that “luck” as he called it found it’s way into your life. Of course he was the first to celebrate with you when things were soaring high. He always knew, really knew, that everything was going to work out. He embodied unconditional love.

I am most grateful that he encouraged me to move to Chicago, he shared his love for Chicago with me in a way that enthralled me. He wouldn’t have wanted me to move here just to be with him, but our weekly breakfasts at the met club made the move EXTRA worthwhile. I can’t imagine whom or where I would be without our chats. He scooped out the man I wanted to marry for me, and took him in as his own, convinced me that eating a banana every morning was essential, started sharing my love of green tea, got me addicted to reading the newspaper every morning, taught me how to say thank you to everyone, tried to teach me to play ping pong but my mom and aunt were the only ones who had a chance of beating him and he allowed me to adopt a lot of his life mantras. He eagerly awaited every picture, story, moment I had to share with him. When I moved here 8 years ago I started meeting grandpa once a week for breakfast and I’m so fortunate to say I’ve seen him almost every week since. Most of our meetings were held at the Metropolitan Club, if grandpa’s stories didn’t make you fall in love with Chicago, the view from the met club would. It was our special place, where I hosted my wedding reception less than a year ago in his honor. As we were attending one of the tastings, one of the waiters who knew grandpa for years approached me saying how much he loved seeing my grandpa and that he had truly become a grandpa to him over the years. This story was not unusual, there was no one grandpa didn’t have time for, no one his love and charm didn’t reach. It might have just been a high and a hello but to you it left a lasting memory. He left legions of friends who were enriched by his kind and caring attitude. He loved to talk to and be with everyone. He went out of his way for people. Even yesterday as I went to work and my students and colleagues expressed their sympathies, my students made me a beautiful card, I found myself consoling them, telling them that this is what happens in life, because that’s what grandpa trained me to do. His depth and love were unconditional and far-reaching.

The most important relationship in his life, however, was with his beautiful wife, my grandma. Grandpa knew grandma was the one for him since the moment they met on a blind date in Chicago. He lured her to Chicago from Pittsburg with romantic love letters and gestures and the promise of a strong, honest, faithful husband of which he was for 67 years. I always knew how much they cared about each other and looked out for each other, whether it was grandma always reminding grandpa to fix his collar, or grandpa making sure grandma ate her lunch. Grandma always put her lipstick on to go see the boy next door. Their love was enduring, pure, passionate, and real.

I am so happy I got to share some of my biggest moments with grandpa, see his face ever time I showed him photos of a major life event. Most notably in recent years were the many photos and videos I shared of his beloved great grandchildren Bianca and Bryan who brought endless joy and pride to his life. In his final weeks of life grandpa spoke of nothing other than his 3rd great grandchild, Clara, who was born 11 days ago. She was undoubtedly the ultimate source of joy for him in his final days and his eyes gleamed with pride when he was able to see her via what he called a magic machine (aka video chat) this past Sunday.

The feelings of pride and joy that grandpa shared with all of us will carry us throughout our lives. I had the honor of calling his many friends when he passed on Tuesday and I was just overwhelmed by all the beautiful things people had to say, most of which were identical; that he was the first person they met (in whatever environment they met him in), I think grandpa must have been on the welcome committee at the Mather! That they loved his conversations, he was deep, kind, generous, wise and was the kind of person that you could learn so much about life in just minutes of conversation.

I would like to leave you today with some wise words my grandma shared with me on Wednesday about how grandpa felt about his glorious 95 years on this planet:

“old age is not a defeat but a victory, not a punishment but a privilege. Ethics and values that have inspired both children and grandchildren. It’s fine to become older but not to become old. A wonderful part of aging is saging. A sage shares his or her wisdom through being a mentor or teacher and an inspiration to younger people. Aging is synonymous with living. Ageing is not a problem to be contemplated but an achievement to be celebrated.” To our husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, soldier, lawyer and friend you will forever be missed and your spirit and wisdom lives on within all of us. Now, back to work.

~Ahava Silkey-Jones
~Granddaughter, Chicago

April 22nd, 2014

In memory of Albert L. Finston

Albert Finston was a competent man.
He helped a lot of people achieve their goals.
He was respected in his profession.

Albert Finston was a family man
He loved his children, his grandchildren and great grandchildren
And their spouses, fully and without a need to control.

Albert Finston was a man who gave of himself
He was a leader but not a taker
He helped me to become a better person.

Albert Finston was a caring person
He loved his brothers and his sister
We spouses were always in his thoughts.

Albert Finston was a man who led by example
He showed all of us how to be caring and worthwhile
He did this just by being himself, without pretense or guile.

Albert Finston was a man who was comfortable with himself
There was never drama, egotism or harsh judgement
He just was and always was the same even as he evolved.

Most of all, Albert Finston had a good heart
The goodness shined through in everything he did.
We loved him and we shall miss him.

~Sheldon Edelman
~brother-in-law, Manhattan, KS

April 18th, 2014

I met Al a few years ago at his granddaughter’s wedding. What I remember most, and still appreciate to this day, was his friendly and welcoming way. This was very important to me at the time, since I had just started dating my future wife, Lois, and I knew she would find his acceptance of me mandatory.

Not only did Al make me feel comfortable and welcome, but I found him to be one of the most interesting and intelligent conversationalist I have ever met

He had the knowledge and ability to discuss any topic in depth and with an amazing understanding of the details… and still make the conversation interesting and fun. I will sure miss my conversations with Al.

I also admired his ability to give such well formed extemporaneous speeches at the various family events.

Lois and I will miss Al very much, and will always remember, his loving, accepting ways, his great advice, his wonderful conversational abilities, and his amazing intellect.

Joe Sheehi

~Joe Sheehi + Lois Gutman
~cousin, Laurel, MD

April 15th, 2014

Dear Ellen,

I only knew your dad for a few years, but I loved him so much. I loved the twinkle in his eye and his joie de vivre and how devoted he was to your mom and what a good, good friend he was to my dad and, especially, my mom. Seeing him at the Mather always made me so happy. I felt like I was soaking up lessons in how to live life well.

Many hugs to you and your mom and all your family.

~Chris Lauterbach
~friend, Silver Spring, MD

April 6th, 2014

My parents, Ethel Mae and Harold Katz, loved their friendship with Albert and Jean at Mather. Albert and I enjoyed teasing my dad about being a slacker because he no longer worked at his law office at age 90. Albert was not a slacker. He also could connect with anyone emotionally, whether it was remembering on Memorial Day or talking about friends and family.

~Lan Katz
~Friend, Florence, MA

March 28th, 2014

I have known Al for 30 years and he always reminded me of a Damon Runyon character; street wise with a heart of gold. Many years ago, Al and I were meeting at my office and my very young daughter heard Al call me Donny. She was so amused that her father was called Donny. For years after that anytime she knew I had a client meeting she would ask “Are you meeting with the Donny guy?” She was sad when I told her there would be no more Donny guy meetings. I will miss our meetings, our lunches at Greek Islands and our conversations about sports, politics, news you name it. I will miss being called Donny, but most of all I will miss Al, a great guy and friend.

~Don Kinnaman
~Friends and business, Long Grove, IL

March 27th, 2014

As a young salesman entering into the family electrical business i had the pleasure one evening to meet our corporate lawyer. This man treated me like I was the CEO of IBM. Never ever did I feel more important in my life. Through the 28 years I knew Albert he was a friend I could confide in and the most astute business man I have ever met. Every business meeting started with “how is your daughter & how is the family”. With Albert, family always came first. His pulse on the industry, world events, and the stock market were as on target as any information you could find. I trusted this man with my family, my business and every part of my person life. Never ever will there be another Lawyer and friend that could have a more positive impact in my life. Thank you Al, for all you wisdom, all your respect, and most of all your deep friendship. Love, Tim

~Timothy Conrardy
~Friend and Business, Addison Illinois

March 27th, 2014

What began as a “thank you” trip to Soldier Field for a Bear’s game many years ago (for one of the many favors Al did for my family) turned out to be a rare gift for me instead. Al requested we take the Sheridan Road route from Highland Park down to the city that Sunday morning. Along the way we were treated to the most fascinating history of the area, the city, the people and the politics of Chicago any of us had ever heard. Al was truly one of the most fascinating men we have ever known. We only wish there had been time for one more glass of single malt (and yes, a dark beer for you too Jean!) along the way. Our thanks to the family for the time you allowed us to enjoy them, and our deepest sympathies as you say goodbye.

~Ben and Susanne Ball
~Friends, Northbrook, Il