7 Queen Street
Edward Patrick “Ted” Finn
Edward Patrick “Ted” Finn enlisted at 16 years of age, when he enlisted, he was already working at Penmans to help support his widowed mother, siblings and grandparents. He left Penmans to enlist with the Canadian Infantry Corps in February 1943. He was sent to Camp Borden to complete his military training. Ted’s brother Ron was shot down in March 1944, while Ted was still in training. It was very horrific news for the entire family and perhaps why Ted was not deployed overseas before the war ended.
With the war over, Ted was demobilized and discharged on October 16 1945 to return to civil life. He was still not 19 years old. Ted immediately joined Ontario Hydro as a lineman, climbing hydro poles to repair lines and restore power in all sorts of weather and, sometimes, being the first on the scene of rural traffic accidents. He married Nancy Charman and they had two daughters, Jayne and Dianne. Ted retired from Ontario Hydro 37 years later at age 56. His early retirement allowed him to pursue his passion of breeding, training, and racing standardbred horses. And he continued active volunteering in the Paris community; he served on the Willett Hospital Board and the Sacred Heart Separate School Board. He served on the Paris Fair Board for 28 years. And he remained a proud member of Paris Branch 29 for 29 years. After his passing, Ted’s tattered Canadian Army Discharge Certificate was found in his wallet; he had carried it with him all his life.
Ted was always troubled that the soldiers who never came home had no memorial in Paris because our Cenotaph recognized the wars, but not the men who fought them. He lobbied repeatedly to have the names of the fallen added to the Paris Cenotaph, which became a reality in 2018. Ted was aware of the addition before he passed March 12, 2018.
He was buried at Sacred Heart Cemetery on St. Patrick’s Day beside his brother Ron, who was also buried on St. Patrick’s Day 26 years earlier.
Finn Brothers