Full of grace – For Pete’s sake, how could anyone forget him?

For 15 years, Pete Finley brought his unabashed observations and opinion into Catholic readers’ homes, in his “For Pete’s Sake” column in the Catholic Star Herald. For 30 years before that, he was a columnist for the Courier-Post.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Finley was a veteran of the Second World War, serving in Europe and reaching the rank of staff sergeant. After the war, he received an education degree from West Chester Teachers College, which he used for 37 years in classrooms at Girard College, Audubon Junior High School, and Oaklyn Junior High School.

While at the Courier-Post, he received a national award for his interview with New Jersey Gov. Richard Hughes, concerning the 1967 summit between President Lyndon B. Johnson and Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin at Glassboro State College.

After leaving the Courier-Post, he began writing for the Catholic Star Herald in 1984. His first column, “Stepping Into a New Arena” (Aug. 3, 1984), prepared Catholic readers for what to expect from him. And what not to expect: “I don’t like labels such as liberal, conservative, radical or the like. Please don’t categorize me as any one of them. I am all of them. Which one will I be next week? Read me and find out.”

For his 15 years at the Star Herald, he wrote on everything from his love of slip-on shoes (“Here’s To Inventor of The Slip-On,” Sept. 23, 1988), his call to eliminate beach tags at the Jersey Shore (“Tags,” May 27, 1988), and the omnipresence of God, even in rainy days (“Never Take God For Granted,” Nov. 14, 1986).

For his writings, he received awards from the Philadelphia Press Association, New Jersey Press Association and the Catholic Press Association.

When not writing or teaching, Finley was busy running the Finley Insurance Agency in Audubon, which he did for 20 years, or working as Administrative Aide to Camden County Sheriff Michael McLaughlin.

A resident of Audubon for 50 years, Finley was a parishioner at St. Rose of Lima Parish in Haddon Heights, and was on the church’s steering committee and parish council. Finley also held membership in the Creative Writers’ Workshop of South Jersey, and the Walt Whitman Association.

In his Feb. 12, 1999 column (“Why Was God Listening To This Small Voice?”), he recounted his learning he had a brain tumor, and his reaction: “All I wanted was to get under a few drops of rainfall (of God’s grace) and instead I’ve been inundated in the most magnificent and exhilarating teeming of downpours anyone could hope for.” In the next few months, he had surgery and radiation.

On Oct. 27, 1999, Finley died at the age of 75, due to complications from the tumor. His death was mourned throughout South Jersey.

Researched by Peter G. Sánchez and James A. McBride