More than a game: Honoring Robin Finco

May 16, 2025

By La Crosse Community Foundation

A life of compassion, character, and the game he loved

When Fran and Billie Finco lost their son Robin unexpectedly in the summer of 2023, their world stopped. “It was a hemorrhagic stroke — he called 911 himself,” Billie said. “Within 24 hours, he was gone.”

In the days that followed, the outpouring of love was overwhelming. Cards, messages, donations, and memories from friends, coworkers, and former classmates flooded in — each one painting a picture of a man whose kindness, humor, and loyalty made a lasting impression.

“People wanted to do something,” Billie said. “Robin’s former wife Jamie said, ‘What about a scholarship?’ and we knew instantly that was the perfect idea.”

The Robin D. Finco Memorial Hockey Scholarship was born from that moment. It now lives on at La Crosse Area Community Foundation and supports a graduating Onalaska High School hockey player each year — specifically, someone with above-average academics, a deep love of hockey, and, most importantly, exceptional character.

“It’s not just about being a great athlete or getting straight A’s,” Fran said. “We wanted it to go to someone who’s a good human being. Someone kind, respectful, empathetic — like Robin.”

A scholarship fund for people like Robin Finco

Robin was all of those things and more. A 1998 graduate of Onalaska High School, he was a standout athlete in football, track, and especially hockey. He was recruited by Big Ten schools for football and played junior hockey in the USHL for the Green Bay Gamblers and Dubuque Fighting Saints. But he was also a performer, singing in show choir and an a cappella group called Sound Investment. He stayed in high school his senior year, turning down a chance to play junior hockey early, because he didn’t want to miss choir, track, and his senior football season.

“He had so many talents,” Fran said. “But more than that, he had a big heart. He was just a good person.”

That goodness showed up in the stories people shared after his passing. One former classmate recalled being bullied in middle school — until Robin stepped in and told the boys to knock it off. “They never bothered me again,” she told the Finco family. Another former coworker wrote, “We didn’t work closely together, but every time I saw him, he made me feel like the most important person in the room. He taught me how to treat people.”

Robin’s impact extended beyond his friendships. As a father to his daughter, Sofia, he was hands-on and devoted — her movie-watching buddy, her fishing partner, and her biggest cheerleader. “She was his best friend,” Billie said. “They were a team.”

When asked why the scholarship focuses on hockey rather than football, where Robin also excelled, Fran smiled. “Hockey was his first love,” he said. “Even though he played college football, his heart was always at the rink.”

A scholarship for students Robin would root for

The scholarship is awarded with the help of teachers and coaches who know the students well. “We trust that they’ll know the kind of kid Robin would root for,” Billie said. “Last year’s recipient? One of the nicest kids on the team.”

The fund has already grown beyond the Finco family’s expectations, with donations large and small pouring in from across the community. Local hockey organizations have supported the fund and even helped cover Sofia’s hockey fees. “People came out of the woodwork,” Fran said. “They wanted to honor him in a way that mattered.”

A way to remember Robin Finco

For the Finco family, the scholarship offers more than just comfort; it offers continuity. “It doesn’t take away the grief,” Fran said, “but it means Robin will be remembered. Every time that scholarship is awarded, someone hears his name. Someone learns about who he was.”

And maybe, just maybe, someone is inspired to live a little more like Robin — kind, loyal, and ready to stand up for others.