David Finnegan
- October 12, 2015
- 74 years
- lung cancer
About David Finnegan
David Finnegan, 74, American attorney, talk show host and politician, lung cancer.
Explore other notable deaths in 2015 or deaths in October 2015.
The Deaths Archive presents
How well do you know David Finnegan?
Explore their life. Test your knowledge. Beat the challenge.
10 questions · One legacy · How much do you really know?
Challenge your friends
Play together in real-time.
Full Biography
|David Ignatius Finnegan (January 28, 1941 – October 12, 2015) was an American attorney, talk show host, and politician. He was a partner at Finnegan, Underwood, Ryan & Tierney.
Political career
Finnegan was a member of the Boston School Committee from 1975 to 1979 and served as its president from 1978 to 1979. He was a candidate for Mayor of Boston in 1979, finishing fourth out of six candidates with 14.59% of the vote. He ran again in 1983, finishing in third place with 24.99%.
Talk show host
Finnegan began his media career in 1979 as host of The Dave Finnegan Show on WBZ Radio. He subsequently hosted Weekend with Dave Finnegan on WNAC-TV. He gave up both of his shows to run for Mayor in 1983.
Personal life
Finnegan was born on January 28, 1941. He was the brother-in-law of astronaut Michael Collins and the uncle of actress Kate Collins.
He was a graduate of Stonehill College (B.A.), Boston University School of Law (J.D.), and Harvard University (A.L.M.).
Finnegan died on October 12, 2015, from lung cancer.
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
Interactive
Test Your Knowledge – Trivia Challenge
How well do you know this person's life and legacy?
No account needed to play. Sign in to keep your score on the leaderboard.
Books & Media
Find books, audiobooks and films about David Finnegan on Amazon.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Finnegan
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 15 questions
Questions drawn from David Finnegan's archived record and the sources above.
1.What was the birth date of David Ignatius Finnegan?
- A.January 28, 1941correct
- B.October 12, 1939
- C.October 12, 1941
- D.January 28, 1939
David Ignatius Finnegan was born on January 28, 1941.
Source: Personal life section
2.What was the cause of death of David Ignatius Finnegan?
- A.Stroke
- B.Pneumonia
- C.Heart disease
- D.Lung cancercorrect
David Ignatius Finnegan died on October 12, 2015, from lung cancer.
Source: Personal life section
3.David Ignatius Finnegan held which of the following degrees from Boston University School of Law?
- A.J.D.correct
- B.M.B.A.
- C.A.L.M.
- D.B.A.
David Ignatius Finnegan was a graduate of the Boston University School of Law with a J.D. degree.
Source: Personal life section
4.Which entity did David Ignatius Finnegan serve as president for between 1978 and 1979?
- A.The Massachusetts Bar Association
- B.The WBZ Radio Board
- C.Stonehill College Alumni Association
- D.The Boston School Committeecorrect
David Ignatius Finnegan served as the president of the Boston School Committee from 1978 to 1979.
Source: Political career section
5.What was the name of the radio program hosted by David Ignatius Finnegan on WBZ Radio?
- A.The Dave Finnegan Showcorrect
- B.Boston Today with David Finnegan
- C.The Finnegan Report
- D.Weekend with Dave Finnegan
David Ignatius Finnegan began his media career in 1979 as host of The Dave Finnegan Show on WBZ Radio.
Source: Talk show host section
6.Who was the brother-in-law of David Ignatius Finnegan?
- A.Kevin White
- B.John F. Kennedy
- C.Michael Collinscorrect
- D.Robert Ryan
David Ignatius Finnegan was the brother-in-law of astronaut Michael Collins.
Source: Personal life section
7.Which television station broadcast the show Weekend with Dave Finnegan?
- A.WNAC-TVcorrect
- B.WCVB-TV
- C.WGBH-TV
- D.WBZ-TV
David Ignatius Finnegan subsequently hosted Weekend with Dave Finnegan on WNAC-TV.
Source: Talk show host section
8.What percentage of the vote did David Ignatius Finnegan receive in the 1983 Boston mayoral election?
- A.30.12%
- B.24.99%correct
- C.14.59%
- D.28.45%
David Ignatius Finnegan finished in third place with 24.99% of the vote in the 1983 mayoral election.
Source: Political career section
9.David Ignatius Finnegan was a partner at which law firm?
- A.Boston Legal Partners
- B.Finnegan, Collins & Associates
- C.Stonehill & Finnegan Law Group
- D.Finnegan, Underwood, Ryan & Tierneycorrect
David Ignatius Finnegan was a partner at the firm Finnegan, Underwood, Ryan & Tierney.
Source: Introduction
10.What academic institution did David Ignatius Finnegan attend to earn his A.L.M. degree?
- A.Stonehill College
- B.Boston University
- C.Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- D.Harvard Universitycorrect
David Ignatius Finnegan was a graduate of Harvard University with an A.L.M. degree.
Source: Personal life section
11.Who was the niece of David Ignatius Finnegan?
- A.Emily Underwood
- B.Sarah Ryan
- C.Mary Tierney
- D.Kate Collinscorrect
David Ignatius Finnegan was the uncle of actress Kate Collins.
Source: Personal life section
12.In what year did David Ignatius Finnegan stop hosting his shows to run for Mayor?
- A.1985
- B.1983correct
- C.1981
- D.1979
David Ignatius Finnegan gave up both of his shows to run for Mayor in 1983.
Source: Talk show host section
13.For what duration did David Ignatius Finnegan serve on the Boston School Committee?
- A.1978 to 1982
- B.1974 to 1978
- C.1975 to 1979correct
- D.1979 to 1983
David Ignatius Finnegan was a member of the Boston School Committee from 1975 to 1979.
Source: Political career section
14.What degree did David Ignatius Finnegan earn from Stonehill College?
- A.A.L.M.
- B.J.D.
- C.B.A.correct
- D.Ph.D.
David Ignatius Finnegan was a graduate of Stonehill College with a B.A. degree.
Source: Personal life section
15.What was the age of David Ignatius Finnegan at the time of his passing?
- A.74correct
- B.78
- C.72
- D.76
David Ignatius Finnegan died at the age of 74.
Source: Introduction
People who died on October 12
Spotted an error?
Help us keep the archive accurate. Report a correction with a source.
Report an error for David Finnegan →
