Adam Loren Finseth, aged 40, of Savage, tragically passed away in the line of duty on February 18, 2024.
Adam was born in Faribault, MN, on March 12, 1983 to parents Brad and Brenda, the oldest of 2 children. Shortly after Adam’s sister Amber was born, they moved to Rochester, MN. Even from the start of Adam’s life, he was a daredevil! He was extremely strong willed and would never take “no” for an answer. He could truly do it all. He would go deer tracking with his dad through the woods, snowboard, play soccer, baseball, hockey and was even a lifeguard. While playing baseball one day with his friends, he got struck in the nose, breaking it. But, of course, that didn’t stop him for a second. All he cared about was being a pitcher for the next game!
Adam found his calling in high school when his friend got into an accident while snowboarding together. Adam didn’t hesitate for a second to be there and care for his friend. He made sure to be there every step of the way and continued to check on his friend during his recovery. Once Adam had graduated from high school, he decided to go to technical school. He found that it wasn’t for him at the time and promptly joined the Army.
Adam joined the Army during a difficult time, shortly after 9/11 had taken place. He completed 2 tours in Iraq, spending 12 months during his first tour and 15 months on his second tour. He achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant and became a squad leader. He was incredibly brave and courageous during both tours. He was a true leader that always made sure to protect his soldiers and made everyone feel strong too.
Right before Adam left for his first deployment, he met the love of his life, Tara. They met at Adam’s going-away party, but that didn’t stop their love from growing. While Adam was in Iraq, he made sure to email Tara as often as he could. And when Adam came home from his deployment, they officially started dating. They spent much of their time traveling between Minnesota and Kentucky to be together as much as possible, but it wasn’t long before Adam left to complete his second tour in Iraq. They weren’t able to see each other for 10 months but continued to stay in contact through email and mailing a journal back and forth to each other. And the second Adam returned home, he proposed!
Adam and Tara got married on July 24, 2009, just 8 months after Adam came home from his second tour in Iraq. They started to build their lives together in Savage, purchasing a home and adding their beloved pets, Harley and Dwight, to their family. Four years later, they were blessed with their two beautiful children, Liam and Nora; truly the light of both of their lives. Adam was the best father and husband anyone could ask for. There are no words to express the love and dedication Adam had for Tara. His beautiful brown eyes and warm embraces melted her heart every day and his constant reminders of his love will be deeply missed. He was her soul mate.
When Adam wasn’t working, he could be found spending time with Tara, Liam and Nora, attending school and sports activities, doing house and yard work, helping the neighbors, keeping in touch with all of his lifelong friends, working out, enjoying a soak in the hot tub with a cigar and good glass of bourbon and spending time outdoors and on the water. He always looked forward to the family vacations, as it allowed them time away to decompress and explore new places together. Recently, Adam and Tara took a cruise with their children and good friends to Aruba, where they spent their honeymoon in 2009 to share this beautiful place with them. He especially loved visiting the BWCA since he was a child and recently started sharing this special place with his own children. He enjoyed taking the family and their dog Rosie out to the Minnesota Horse and Hunt Club to share his love of hunting with them. Just this winter, he introduced his son and daughter to snowboarding! The dedication to his family extended into his work as well.
Shortly after getting married, Adam earned his Fire Science and Paramedic degrees. He served time with Allina and North Memorial as a street medic and earned his first firefighter-paramedic job with the Lacrosse Fire Department in 2014. He then continued his career with the Hastings Fire Department in August 2014 through May 2015. He joined the Hastings Fire Department in August of 2015. Adam also dedicated 6 years of his time to the Savage Fire Department while working on the Hastings and Burnsville Fire Departments. Adam earned his dream job with the Burnsville Fire Department in February 2019, where he planned to finish his fire fighter-paramedic career. He was so incredibly proud to be a part of the team and continue his love for helping others in his work there. Adam always had the first in, last out mentality. He made sure to check in on all of his teammates at the department and was very active in the Health and Wellness committee. He was truly selfless, always making sure everyone else was healthy and strong while constantly also working on himself. He was quite proud of his ability to “keep up with the young guys” as he would say. Adam was also very involved in the ice and water rescue training programs with the department. It didn’t take long for Adam to join the SWAT team in Burnsville as one of their two SWAT medics. This is where he truly excelled, as it filled his military void. He loved his work and although he was very humble about all his accomplishments, he was truly so proud. He is a hero to his entire community.
Adam truly brought a light to everyone’s lives. His immense caring and loving attitude left an impact on this world, although he would never admit to it!
Left to cherish his memory is his wife, Tara; children Liam and Nora; parents, Brad and Brenda; sister, Amber (Austin) Smith; nephews, Jude and Leon and many other loving relatives, in-laws, nieces and nephew and friends.
Adam is greeted in Heaven by his grandparents and great-grandparents, and Army friend, Sgt. Adam Kohlhaas.
In lieu of flowers, please visit www.lels.org/benevolent-fund for memorial information.
Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation proudly serves the Finseth family.
