Monroeville Rotary honors 2 longtime members

Monroeville Rotary members meet every week, but their meeting on April 4 marked two exceptional milestones.

Two Rotarians – Ron Lombard and John “Jack” Finnegan – were honored for 50 years of service.

President John Keating noted April 4 was Lombard’s exact 50-year anniversary, as he joined on April 4, 1974. Finnegan joined a one week later, on April 11.

“The club was 19 years old when these two came on board,” said Keating. “We are here today because they have continued to be here and be a part of us.”

“We are not honoring these guys for being members for 50 years, but what they contributed over those years,” added longtime member Stan Beck.

Lombard grew up in Monroeville and graduated from Gateway High School. He attended Penn State University and received an electrical engineering degree, then went on to attend Duquesne University’s law school. Lombard has been a patent and trademark attorney since 1973.

He and his wife of 49 years, Diane, live in Murrysville. They have two sons and one grandson. Lombard’s father Joe, who owned the first car dealership in Monroeville, was a member when his son joined a half-century ago.

“I look forward to the meetings and helping the community,” Lombard said.

He served at president of the group in 2013 and has worked on numerous committees. He is currently on the membership committee and oversees the golf outing fundraiser, which this year will be held at Edgewood Country Club on June 10.

Finnegan grew up in Bloomfield, but lived with his family in Monroeville for more than 50 years. He and his wife Virginia, who is the Rotary treasurer, now live in Cranberry. Despite their move, Finnegan remains a member of the Monroeville Rotary and chamber. The couple has three children and eight grandchildren.

Finnegan attended Saint Vincent College and obtained a degree in accounting before going on to Duquesne’s law school. He began practicing real estate law in 1968 and was a sole practitioner for more than 37 years before joining an O’Hara firm.

Both Lombard and Finnegan agree that service – whether locally or globally – is one of greatest accomplishments of Rotary.

“In my opinion, it is one of the finest organizations in the world,” said Finnegan, who served on the social committee for many years and was president in 1994.

“Over the years, we’ve always helped the students at Gateway, especially with scholarships,” said Lombard. “We are always doing what we can, from rebuilding a home or pavilion to cleaning up the highways.”

Lombard indicated that, in order to procure funds for their service projects, they’ve held wine tastings and galas. They also rely on member contributions. Finnegan recalled being on the “bailiff” committee, which “fined” members for misbehavior during meetings.

“It’s a fun way to collect money,” he said. “It’s all about giving — and that’s a reward in itself.”

Rotary International is a global organization with over 1.4 million members and 46,000 clubs worldwide. The group’s motto is “Service Above Self” in the community, nationally and globally.

The Monroeville chapter meets every Thursday at noon at the Courtyard by Marriott, at 3962 William Penn Highway.