When we heard the news that Marie Finn will be retiring on March 1 after 43 years of service in the Winthrop school system, we found ourselves asking, “Where does the time go?â€
We recall interviewing Marie — who was then known by her maiden name of Marie Doto — on the tennis courts at Winthrop High when she first came to the Winthrop schools and was the coach of the WHS girls tennis team.
And yes, it seems like it was just yesterday.
In the four decades since then, Marie has worked at various schools in the Winthrop system and currently is a physical education teacher at the Fort Banks/Gorman Elementary School.
She always has been highly-regarded as a dedicated teacher and coach, setting the foundation for excellence for her students.
Marie grew up in Medford and played tennis and gymnastics. She received her B.S. from Boston State College in 1978.
She is the wife of former Winthrop Superintendent of Schools Peter Finn and together they raised three amazing children, all of whom are grads of Winthrop High where they excelled in athletics: Kristen, who is a physician’s assistant at Mass Eye and Ear; Courtney, the associate athletic director at Bentley University (where she was an All-American basketball player for a Division 2 national championship team); and twin brother, Paul, who is an engineer at Raytheon.
Marie has been a wonderful and positive influence for so many students who had the joy of being coached or taught by her. Marie and her family have been great role models for the Winthrop school system.
We would note that Marie will continue to coach the WHS boys tennis team, whom she has led to the team’s best seasons in program history in recent years.
We know we join with her former students, colleagues, and residents in offering a sincere “Thank you†to Marie for her many years of service to the Winthrop schools and in wishing her a happy and healthy retirement.