The Honorable Elizabeth (Ellie) Regina Finn, (Ret.), 77, of Phoenix, Arizona, passed away on December 27, 2024, at home with her husband Edward Turner and daughter Sarah Turner, after a long battle with ovarian cancer.  

Ellie Finn was born September 29, 1947 in New Haven, Connecticut, the eldest child of Herbert B. Finn and Ruth G. Finn.   

Ellie graduated from Central High School in 1965 and earned both a B.S. in Political Science and Law Degree from Arizona State University. 

 At Arizona State, Ellie met Edward Turner and they were instantly smitten. Moving in together a month after meeting, Ed and Ellie lived together for seven years before they were married on December 26, 1976, at the home of her parents. Over the course of 56 years together, they had two children, Jesse Turner and Sarah Turner, one daughter in law Jennifer Shiffman Turner, 8+ dogs, including but not limited to Tommy, Squirts, Snoopy, Sam, Jake, Hershey, Carl and Cooper.  

 Ellie graduated from ASU law school in 1972, passing the bar soon thereafter. She initially went to work for her parents, resulting in Finn, Finn, & Finn, the first majority female law firm in Arizona. In 1979, she became one of the youngest judges in Arizona when she was appointed to the bench of the City of Phoenix. In 2002, she retired from Phoenix to become the presiding judge of Glendale City Court, a position she would hold until 2021. Even after retirement she served as a city judge in both Cave Creek and Scottsdale. Ellie was a judge to the end, working as a Pro Tem for El Mirage. At the time of her passing she was the longest serving judge in Arizona.  

Judge Finn implemented many specialized courts in Glendale including Domestic Violence Treatment Court, Domestic Violence Supervised Probation, as well as one the few competency courts at a municipal level in Arizona. 

One of Ellie’s favorite sayings was to always follow your passion. For Judge Finn, her work passions included: Pushing for the passage of Domestic Violence legislation; Advocating for the implementation of proactive Domestic Violence Policy; Developing the DUI process and education for judges; Teaching judges about both issues; Training new judges. Judge Finn was renowned for her presentation on the history of civil rights in Arizona, which she taught countless times across the state over the course of several decades.  

She was a founding member of the Chair of the Supreme Court Committee on the Impact of Domestic Violence and the Courts. Activities included being Past Chair and member of the Executive Committee for the American Bar Association National Conference of Specialized Court Judges, as well as a member of the Supreme Court Committees for Limited Jurisdiction Courts and Mental Health and the Courts.  

In 1998, she was named outstanding limited jurisdiction judge in the nation by the American Bar Association. In 1999, she was named outstanding judge in Arizona by the State Bar of Arizona. In 2000 the State Bar named her one of the outstanding 100 Women and Minority Attorneys in Arizona’s history. In 2002, the City of Phoenix Awarded her the Martin Luther King, Jr. Living the Dream Award. That same year the YWCA named her Outstanding Woman of the Year in the Public Sector.  In 2015 she was named by State Bar for Judicial Excellence and awarded Lifetime Achievement Award from the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence and was inducted into the Maricopa County Bar Hall of Fame. In 2021, the West Valley Women Networking Association named her woman of the year.  

On the rare occasions she was not working, Ellie enjoyed traveling with her husband, particularly to Southern California for the boating life. Her recreational passions included reading mystery and romance novels, dancing, and officiating weddings for friends and family.  Most importantly, she cherished quality time with her husband, children, and extended family.  

Remaining to cherish Ellie’s memory are spouse, Ed; children, Jesse and Sarah, Daughter in law, Jennifer; Sister, Alice Finn Gartell; Brother William Finn; nieces Jennifer Liebhaber and Kira Gartell; cousins, the Ruders, in-laws, the greater Turner family; her court family, and the Arizona legal profession that continues to benefit from her legacy. 

Preceding Ellie in death are Father, Herbert B.  Finn and Mother Ruth G. Finn. 

Memorial service will be held at the Glendale Civic Center on January 12 at 1:00 P.M. with a reception to follow.  

In lieu of flowers, donations in Ellie’s memory may be directed to her favorite charity, A New Leaf, an organization that provides sexual and domestic violence services:

https://anewleafaz.donorsupport.co/page/ElizabethFinn