Pat Finn, a Second City Alum Known for Roles on ‘The Middle’ and ‘Ed,’ Dies at 60

Pat Finn, a veteran character actor best known for his roles on the TV comedies “The Middle,” “Ed” and “Marvin Marvin,” died Dec. 22 at his home in Los Angeles. He was 60.

Finn had been battling bladder cancer for several years. Finn’s family issued a statement that noted the actor’s love of college football and the Chicago Bears NFL team. “They also ask you to be kind, to try and make one person’s life a little easier every day and to Bear Down. It’s what Pat would want, too.”

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Finn worked steadily in film and TV from the mid-1990s on. Early in his career, he was a member of the Second City improv troupe, where he worked with Chris Farley.

Finn’s most prominent role in recent years was a recurring character on “The Middle,” the domestic comedy that ran on ABC from 2009 to 2018. He played Bill Norwood, a friendly but quirky neighbor of the Heck family at the heart of the series. On the Nickelodeon live-action series “Marvin Marvin,” which aired from 2012 to 2013, Finn played the patriarch of a family who takes in an alien teenage boy from another planet.

The actor’s long list of credits included guest shots on a host of notable TV series, from “Seinfeld,” “Friends” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” to “The Goldbergs,” “Two Broke Girls,” “Yes, Dear” and “The Bernie Mac Show.” His film work included “Dude, Where’s My Car,” “Funky Monkey,” “I Love You, Beth Cooper,” “It’s Complicated” and “Selfie Dad.” He was also featured in commercial spots for H&R Block, DiGiorno Pizza and Toyota and the milk industry’s “Got Milk” campaign.

Born in 1965, Finn grew up in Wilmette, Ill. He graduated from Marquette University in 1987 with a degree in speech. Farley, who went on to fame in “Saturday Night Live” and movies but died of a drug overdose in 1997 at age 33, was a classmate and rugby teammate of Finn.

After college, Finn worked in improv out of Chicago and joined the touring company of Second City. His big boost in TV came with a series regular role on “The George Wendt Show,” which lasted only eight episodes on CBS in 1995. Finn and “Cheers” alum Wendt played bachelor brothers who ran an auto repair shop in Madison, Wisconsin. From 1995 to 1997, Finn had a recurring role on CBS’ “Murphy Brown.”

Other TV roles on Finn’s long resume include “Caroline in the City,” “That 70s Show,” “The King of Queens,” “Third Rock From the Sun,” “According to Jim,” “Less Than Perfect,” “The Drew Carey Show,” “My Boys,” “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody” and “Wizards of Waverly Place.”

Finn also worked as an adjunct professor and taught Improv for Strategic Communication at University of Colorado, and he taught at his alma mater, Marquette. “He loved sharing the joys of improv and the gospel of ‘yes, and’ with anyone who was willing to learn,” the Finn family said.

Finn is survived by his wife of 35 years, Donna Crowley Finn, and three children, Cassidy, Caitlin and Ryan.