Saratoga Springs, NY - Angela Fina, 76, died November 10, 2013 at her home in Amherst, MA. The cause of death was Ovarian Cancer for which she had been treated for 10 years. Angela was born and raised in Saratoga Springs, NY. She was the daughter of Marion (Powers) Fina and Fil L. Fina Sr. She graduated from Saratoga High School and earned a B.S. in Art Education from Nazareth College of Rochester, NY. After graduation she entered the community of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Rochester, NY and in the 9 years as a nun she earned an M.F.A. in Ceramics at the School for American Craftsmen at Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York. She taught Ceramics and Drawing in the program she set up at Nazareth College. After leaving the convent Angela became a tenured Professor at Sheridan College School of Craft and Design in Port Credit, Ontario, Canada teaching ceramics and glaze chemistry for 9 years. In 1977 she chose to leave her college teaching to became a full time, self-supporting artist potter. She set up a studio in Amherst and for 34 years made and sold colorful porcelain tableware and vases for flower arrangers (Ikebana). She produced over 2000 thrown and hand built vessels every year. Angela's career included many one person shows of her work in galleries around the country, She sold her work in craft stores from Maine to Florida to the mid west, California, and the North West. Her work was juried into the American Craft Council Shows, the Smithsonian Craft Fairs, and many other craft shows around the North East. In addition, she held a successful open house sale in her studio every December. Many local patrons helped her succeed by buying scores of pots and vases. Though she left her tenured college position, Angela never lost her zest for teaching ceramics, glaze chemistry, and ceramics history. She taught innumerable workshops at Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina, Brookfield Craft Center in Connecticut, and art centers in Washington, D.C., Boulder, Colorado, Long Island, New Jersey and elsewhere around the country. She taught a sabbatical semester at Scripps College, Claremont, California and 4 months in the University of Georgia Studies Abroad program in Cortona, Italy. She taught two semesters at The School for American Craftsmen and one at Miami University in Athens, Ohio. She was on the Board of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) for 11 years and was made a lifetime Fellow in 1984.Angela was a contributing author to many ceramics technical and art journals, artists' retrospectives, and coedited two books on contemporary ceramics. Angela's avocation was her garden. Visitors were awed by spectacular floral displays that evolved throughout the seasons. Her vegetable garden provided both beauty and bounty. Angela is survived by three sisters and a brother, Mary Jane Kinosian of Rexford, New York, Gloria and her husband Dennis O'Connell of Suffern, New York, Doris Fina of Natick, Massachusetts, and Fil Fina, Jr. and his wife Joan Fina of Saratoga Springs, New York. She was pre-deceased by a brother James Fina. She is also survived by 12 nieces and nephews and their spouses;, 23 grand nieces and grand nephews, many cousins, and countless wonderful and devoted friends who will treasure their memories of her. Relatives and friends may call from 4pm to 7pm Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013 at the William J. Burke & Sons/Bussing & Cunniff Funeral Homes, 628 North Broadway, Saratoga Springs (515-584-5373). A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10am Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013 at St. Clement's Church, 231 Lake Ave. by the Rev. Neil Draves-Arpaia. Burial will follow in the family plot at St. Peter's Cemetery, West Ave. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Dakin Animal Shelter, Leverett, MA, to WFCR Amherst, MA or to the Craftmen's Emergency Relief Fund, Montpelier, VT. Online remembrances may be made at www.burkefuneralhome.com.