Rodney Duane Finnegan

Rodney Duane Finnegan

Rodney Duane Finnegan, 58, passed away on March 13th, 2025. He was born on May 5th, 1966, in Denver, Colorado to Duane Finnegan and Donna Needens. He graduated as valedictorian from Saint Mary’s High School in 1984 and received an undergraduate degree in 1988 from Colorado State University in Electrical Engineering. After graduation, Rodney moved to New Jersey and accepted a position from AT&T as a Software Architect. AT&T supported him through a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering at Cornell University. He completed the degree in only one year, finishing in 1990. Rodney’s studies focused on computer models, electrical fields, and recovery of multisensory digital processing. He worked with AT&T (Avaya) for 22 years, moving to LGS/CACI in 2010. Rodney stayed there for 13 years until moving to his final job at ICR in 2023 as a Senior System Architect. Rodney was married to his beloved wife, Kelly Thomason, on July 12th, 2003. Together they had three children, Grace, Daniel, and Sean.

 On July 27th, 1991, Rodney received one of the greatest gifts ever given, a new heart. His heart transplant gave him 33 more years of love and happiness. Rodney’s love for the game of hockey poured into his daily life. He played in an adult league later but was overjoyed when his boys started the game in their early years. Rodney loved to watch professional hockey just as much as he enjoyed watching his sons, Daniel and Sean, play. He was heavily involved with the teams, starting as a coach when they were younger and later as an equipment manager.

 As season ticket holder #161, Rodney cherished taking his friends and family to many Colorado Avalanche games to share in the love. Rodney was always on the sidelines rooting for the Avalanche, as well as his son’s teams, Jaguars, Gators, and The Embry Riddle Eagles. Rodney shared his love for mathematics with his children around the dinner table. With his favorite daughter, Grace, he adored working through projects with her early on, all the way to listening about her college classes now. He was thrilled to support her in pursuing an engineering degree.

 He also found great pleasure in the game of golf. Rodney would hold the Finnegan family, Ales and Tales tournaments and participated in his work golf league. His only requirement when purchasing a family home was to live on the golf course. Rodney’s house resides on the second hole of the Broadlands course in Broomfield, Colorado.

Another passion of his was training and caring for his whippets. Rodney raised 4 whippets Chamois, Zephyr, Rocket, and Pippa. Above all else, most important to Rodney was his family. Rodney saw his greatest achievement as the beautiful family he built.

Rodney was preceded in death by both of his parents, Duane J and Donna J Finnegan. Rodney is survived by his wife Kelly; his three children, Grace, Daniel, and Sean; his sister Dana (Randy) Rocha; and all of his siblings in law, nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, cousins, aunts, and uncles.

In lieu of flowers, Rodney's family would like any further donations to be made out to Donor Alliance-Denver in honor of Rodney. 

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