Wade Jonathan Finner

Wade Jonathan Finner, age 60, passed away unexpectedly at home on Saturday, March 25, 2023. A son of Stephen Finner and the late Roberta Lothrop Emmons, Wade was born in Rhode Island and spent his early years in Newark. He later moved to Teaneck, New Jersey where he completed high school and began his career in IT with the Bank of New York (while running his own DJ business for a time).

In the early 2000s, Wade graduated from the University of Maryland, and he and his young family relocated to Florida. He continued his work as a manager and coach in software development under contracts with companies such as Express Scripts, QVC, Capital One, Comcast, Sony and Paramount. He returned to Delaware in the mid-2010s and eventually lived with and cared for his mother through her lengthy illness until her death in 2022.

After returning to Delaware, Wade very much enjoyed participating in community theater and appeared in productions with groups such as Reedy Point Players, Chapel Street Players, the Everett Theater, Wilmington Drama League and The Griffin. He also loved music, historic documentaries, Civil War history, playing word games (especially Scrabble), and old movies. Despite increasing health challenges, he was looking forward to completing work on the motor home he purchased in 2022 and traveling the country.

Wade is survived by his beloved daughters, Shannon and Alyssa, of whom he was immeasurably proud; their mother, Laura Finner; his father, Stephen; and his brother, Wendell. Those who knew and loved him would describe him as energetic, witty, wordy, kind, and generous to a fault, and he will be deeply missed by those fortunate to call him friend.

A visitation for family and friends will be held from 11 am until 12 pm on Saturday, May 6, 2023, at Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Home, 121 West Park Place, Newark, DE, where a celebration of life will begin at 12 pm. Interment will be held privately.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be sent to Reedy Point Players, 250 Fifth Street, Delaware City, DE 19706 or online by clicking here, in commemoration of Wade’s creative spirit.