Emma Ratto Finerty
January 19, 1921 - January 26, 2015
Emma Grace Finerty passed away in her sleep on January 26, 2015 after complications from a stroke.
Born in San Francisco, Emma was a proud native of the Mission District and graduated Class of 1938 from Lick Wilmerding Lux, where she began her lifelong passion with art and literature. She was a talented artist, excelling in fashion illustration and printmaking. Early in her career, she worked at the Bank of America as a branch secretary, where she met her husband, Martin Finerty, at the Bank’s Noe Valley branch. Married in 1950, they moved in 1961 to Marin. She enjoyed a successful career in retail, working at the Emporium in Terra Linda and eventually returned to the Bank of America, as an executive secretary in Menlo Park. At retirement, she and her husband built a beautiful house overlooking the Dry Creek Valley, then lived in Sebastopol where she reveled in the West County’s liberal sensibility. At the time of her death, she and Martin lived at Piedmont Gardens in Oakland.
Emma expressed her creativity through painting, sewing, quilt-making and in her later years, doll-making – she excelled at all she did. An expert homemaker, she created beautiful gardens in her homes and celebrated the holidays with hand made decorations and dozens of home-baked cookies.
Emma was an avid reader and was known to stay up until the wee hours of the night to finish a novel. She instilled in her children and grandchildren her love of reading and creative arts. She adored her grandsons, Sean and Quinn Finerty and relished their summer visits in Sebastopol. Always on top of current events, she had a razor-sharp mind, feisty wit and relished a good discussion of politics, environment and the arts. She was not afraid to call herself a liberal, was accepting of all those she met and adored all the dogs who had the good fortune to cross her path. She was gracious, witty, a generous soul, a beloved friend and a loving wife. She will be greatly missed by all those who knew her.
She is survived by her husband of 64 years, Martin, who was devoted to her. She is also survived her son, Stephen, daughter Mara, grandsons Sean and Quinn, and her daughter-in-law, Lydia. She was preceded in death by her beloved mother and father, Stephen and Emma Ratto. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to St. Anthony’s, the Starcross Community or a charity of your choice. Inquiries regarding services may be directed to mfinerty3@comcast.net.