Actor and Marquette alumnus Pat Finn, known for his roles in sitcoms “The Middle,” “Seinfeld,” “Friends” and “That ’70s Show,” has died at age 60, Marquette’s Diederich College of Communication announced Wednesday.
Finn graduated from Marquette in 1987 from the College of Speech. Originally from Evanston, Illinois, he returned to the Windy City after graduation, where he launched his acting career at the Second City National Touring Company, performing improvisational comedy based out of Chicago.
He went on to act in beloved sitcoms, with recurring roles on "The George Wendt Show" and "The Middle". He also made appearances on "Seinfeld", "Friends", "That ’70s Show", and "Las Vegas".
His successful acting career also translated to the big screen, with roles in films including "It’s Complicated", "I Love You", "Beth Cooper", and "Dude, Where’s My Car?"
He worked on commercial campaigns for Got Milk, H&R Block, DiGiorno Pizza and Toyota.
“Pat was a generous supporter of the College of Communication, returning to campus several times to teach courses on improvisation,” a spokesperson for the Diederich College of Communication wrote. “He was always popular with students, and his improv courses were the original concept for the Diederich Learning Labs, a series of one-credit courses taught by alums that continues to this day.”
Several co-stars and friends posted online tributes, including comedian Jeff Dye.
I don’t like to be the guy who post pics with celebrities that pass. But this guy wasn’t just a celebrity to me. He was a friend. One of the best dudes I knew with a PERFECT sense of humor. I love you Pat Finn and I’ll see again in the after , we can sing together and shake our… pic.twitter.com/pQhobHKbCZ
— Jeff Dye (@JeffDye) December 24, 2025
"I don’t like to be the guy who posts pics with celebrities who pass. But this guy wasn’t just a celebrity to me. He was a friend," Dye wrote in a post on X. "One of the best dudes I knew with a perfect sense of humor. I love you, Pat Finn, and I’ll see you again in the after, we can sing together and shake our heads about all the meanness in the used to be."
Second City, where Finn launched his acting career, also posted a tribute to the actor.
"As funny as he was kind, Pat graced the stage of The Second City Northwest after serving a stint in The Second City Touring Company," a spokesperson for Second City wrote. "You have seen him in countless television shows, including co-starring with fellow alum George Wendt in his post-Cheers sitcom The George Wendt Show, which was based on the legendary NPR program Car Talk."
Finn leaves behind his wife and three children.
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