Long-time Universal Studios executive Rick Finkelstein died on Tuesday after a long battle with cancer. He was 64 years old. Finkelstein served as executive vice president at Universal, and had been chief operating officer until stepping down from the position in 2012 in advance of retiring from the studio. In that position, Finkelstein oversaw worldwide home entertainment, TV and digital distribution. Universal Vice Chairman Ron Meyer sent an internal message to staff on Wednesday notifying them of Finkelstein’s passing and that his thoughts were with Finkelstein’s family and loved ones. “He has been a dear friend to many of us and was an important part of the success of this company,” the memo read, according to entertainment industry website The Wrap. “He will be missed.” Finkelstein was an executive vice president at PolyGram Filmed Entertainment when it was acquired by Universal in 1999. Prior to that he held positions at Nelson Films and DeLaurentiis Entertainment Group, and was an attorney with Mitchell, Silverberg and Knupp. He was confined to a wheelchair following a 2004 skiing accident that severed his spine.
