June 3, 2016 – It’s been less than a week since I read about the abrupt death of one of the structured settlement industry’s greatest champions Don McNay and I’m still struggling to come to grips with this tragic news.

Sing with me

Don and I only ever met in person at industry functions a few times over the years but we were definitely kindred spirits. Close in age, we were connected by our mutual appreciation for the written word, our commitment to helping people secure their financial futures and our penchant for frequently choosing classic rock lyrics to express how we felt about something.

Sing for the years

A tireless promoter of things he believed in and seemingly a fan of everyone he ever met, he was your favorite uncle, teacher, mentor, coach and you-name-it all rolled into one.

It was impossible not to like, be inspired by and root for Don McNay.

Sing for the laughter

Driven and accomplished to levels most of us can’t even comprehend, Don was an unpretentious and unrepentant advocate of things he believed in, primarily “God, the Cincinnati Reds and not taking money in a lump sum.”

Sing for the tears

But probably Don’s most endearing quality was the way he encouraged so many others, yours truly included, at every opportunity.

For instance: Every time I posted anything on my firm’s social media sites, Don invariably was the first to “like” or share it.

Sing with me

Less than 48 hours before he died, Don shared my latest blog post with his very extended network as he prepared to head off to New Orleans for the Memorial Day weekend.

He didn’t have to do that. I never asked him to help me promote my business.

I guess he just wanted to.

Just for today

I miss Don already. I miss the engaging columns and books he’ll no longer be writing. I miss all the things I’ll no longer be able to learn from him.

He wasn’t ready to leave all of us any more than we were ready to lose him.

Maybe tomorrow

But I can’t help thinking that somewhere in the Great Beyond there’s a bunch of souls wondering about this new positive force of nature suddenly in their midst.

And what do you want to bet this “Son of a Son of a Gambler” who rarely wagered has already made fast friends of them all.

 The good Lord will take you away

Dream on, my friend. I hope this post would have made you smile.

The Finn Financial Group extends its heartfelt condolences to the family of Don McNay and to all his personal and professional associates, affiliates and organizations who mourn his passing.