Clarence “Junior” P. Finch, Jr., 91, of Kearny, passed away on September 25, 2026, at Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, New Jersey, just days shy of his 92nd birthday.
Junior was born on October 4, 1934, at Margaret Hague Hospital in Jersey City to the late Clarence and Elise Finch, Sr. He spent his early years in the Heights of Jersey City before his family moved to Kearny. It was there that Junior would build his life, raise his family, and become part of the community he called home. He was predeceased by his parents and his siblings, Mabel Finch and Harold Finch, Sr.
At the center of Junior’s life was his loving wife, Ronnie (Misyak) Finch. They were married on a cold January day in 1976 and spent the next 50 years side by side. Ronnie was not only his wife, but his partner in the life they created together. They raised their family, built a business, weathered life’s challenges, and shared the many joys that came with watching their family grow. Junior was also predeceased by his first wife, Georgia.
Junior was the devoted father of Clarence P. Finch III and his wife, Debbie; Veronica Edwards and her husband, Derek; Helen Finch and her fiancé, Greg Macchione; and Matthew Finch and his partner, Nicole Tremblay. He was the proud grandfather of Philip Finch and his wife, Dina; Andrew Finch and his wife, Dannielle; Emily Escue and her husband, Cal; and Blaise, Felicity, and Charlotte Edwards. He was also the proud great-grandfather of Andrew Finch, Jr., and two others.
From a young age, Junior was a remarkable athlete. He excelled in football, basketball, and baseball, but pitching was where his talent truly stood out. With a fastball that reached 102 miles per hour, he caught the attention of the New York Yankees and was recruited as a pitcher. Life ultimately took him in another direction. Near the end of his senior year, circumstances led Junior to leave school and begin working full-time with his father. Years later, he would say that perhaps it was one of the best things that ever happened to him. Had his life followed a different path, he believed he might never have met Ronnie or had the children who became the greatest part of his life.
Junior and Ronnie went on to found Finch Fuel Oil Co., Inc. in Kearny. Building the company required tremendous sacrifice, and Junior was never afraid of hard work. Twenty-hour workdays were not unusual, and he continued working well into his 80s. What he and Ronnie started all those years ago remains a family business today, now run by their daughter, Helen.
Junior loved to build things almost as much as he loved working. He was involved in building Brunswick Towers and St. Anne’s Condominiums in Jersey City. Brunswick Towers was the first building in the city to feature a commercial car elevator. His building projects also followed him home. There always seemed to be another room to add, something to rebuild, or a new idea taking shape. Ronnie learned over the years that one of Junior’s new ideas often meant she would soon be moving things and packing up the dishes to make room for his latest project.
For all the hours Junior worked, his children knew that when something mattered, their father would do everything he could to be there. He came to their basketball games, tennis matches, soccer, softball, and baseball games. Sometimes he arrived straight from work, still dressed in his work clothes. He sponsored many youth teams throughout Kearny and loved watching them play. When a team won a championship, Junior celebrated the players by giving them jackets and throwing them a pizza party. Their victories genuinely brought him joy.
That same pride became even greater when Junior became a grandfather. He loved hearing what was happening in his grandchildren’s lives and had special names for them, including his beloved “Charlushka.” He wanted to hear about the game they had played, the grade they had earned, or the lesson they had just finished. As they grew older, it became graduations, new jobs, and new chapters in their lives. Whatever mattered to his grandchildren mattered to him. Their accomplishments gave him endless reasons to smile and even more reasons to brag.
Junior also had a generous heart, and much of what he did for others was done quietly. If someone needed help and he was able to provide it, he often did. Over the years, that meant replacing a car that had been totaled or helping a student afford school. At other times, it meant helping someone with a place to live, a mortgage payment, or rent. When a church needed a new boiler because it was too cold, Junior made sure there was heat. There are more stories of his generosity than his family could ever hope to recount. He did not need recognition for helping someone. Knowing that he had made life a little easier for another person was enough.
Faith also became an important part of Junior’s life. He was raised Methodist and later converted to Catholicism, moved by the example of Ronnie and her faith. He made his First Communion shortly before his daughter, Veronica, made hers. It was a special moment for their family and one that meant a great deal to Ronnie.
Junior enjoyed life. He loved fast cars and boats, and he had a lifelong love of speed. He enjoyed card games in Atlantic City and nights playing cards with the men at the social club. He liked to compete, he liked to build, and he certainly knew how to work. But nothing compared with the love and pride he had for his family.
To the people who loved him, Clarence Finch, Jr. was simply Junior. To Ronnie, he was her husband and partner of 50 years. To his children, he was Dad. To his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, he was the proud grandfather who wanted to know everything they were doing and celebrate every accomplishment along the way. His family will remember the man who worked tirelessly, gave generously, showed up when it mattered, and loved them in the unmistakable way that was uniquely his.
Visitation will be held on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Armitage & Wiggins Funeral Home in Kearny. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. at St. Stephen’s Church in Kearny. Entombment will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers kindly consider a donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in memory of Clarence.
