Dr. Teresa Finken

Dr. Teresa Finken

Iowa City

On Friday, April 12, 2024, Dr. Teresa Finken passed away peacefully at her home in Iowa City, IA. A Celebration of Life open house will be held at The Heights Rooftop in Iowa City on June 8, 2024, from 2-5 pm. Instead of flowers, please send a donation to Tapestry Farms, a local nonprofit Teresa donated her time and resources to.

Teresa was born in Baltimore in 1951, the first of 6 siblings. She was a teacher most of her life, beginning as the oldest sibling, then started her career student teaching grades 1-8 in a multi-age program in 1972.

Teresa moved to Iowa City in 1977. She taught junior high math in nearby Solon for 19 years and obtained her Ph.D in Math Education from the University of Iowa in 2002. She was a professor at the University of Iowa, Central College, and Iowa Wesleyan University.

Throughout her career she was a contributor to and leader in the Iowa Council of Teachers of Mathematics (ICTM); she received the ICTM lifetime achievement award in 2023.

Teresa was happiest when she was active and busy. She was an avid gardener, working on her yard and neighbors’ and family’s yards throughout her life. She was an avid baker, known for her homemade bread. She provided so much for her community: donating backpacks full of school supplies, sewing mittens from old sweaters and coordinating donations to communities in greater Iowa.

Teresa is preceded in death by her parents and her brother, and is survived by her husband, Les; daughters: Erica & Stephanie; 4 siblings and 3 grandkids.