John E. Rooney
February 05, 1929 - December 07, 2007
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John E. Rooney
February 05, 1929 - December 07, 2007
Obituary
ROONEY – John Edward Rooney 1929-2007 Died December 7, 2007 in Laguna Hills. Born in Chicago, he was the only child of John Rooney and Suzanna Heraty Rooney. Marriage in 1948 to Helen Grady was followed by a happy family life in many locations: Cheyenne, Chicago, Cedar Rapids, Dallas, Washington DC and Laguna Hills, while John served, first, in the US Air Force and then, enjoyed a 37-year career in the defense industry. Upon retirement, John put his business skills to use in a second career as a volunteer where he worked to help alleviate poverty and homelessness. John was happily married for 57 years until Helen’s death in 2006. John was a gentleman, a kind and friendly man, with the highest integrity, enjoyed watching baseball and football and was an enthusiastic fan of parades and marching bands. He enjoyed reading, especially history and encouraged a love of books in others. He was a wonderful role model for his family and community. He will be dearly missed. He was a loving dad to his children, John Jr. Flora, Patricia Bob Pike, Michael deceased 1980, Mary Ann Neilson, and Kathleen Gordon Hamilton. John was a doting grandpa to his grandchildren, Melissa, Dorian and Jackie Rooney, Daniel Neilson, Megan, Noreen and Brian Hamilton.
In lieu of flowers, contributions to the establishment of a memorial scholarship fund may be made to St. Nicholas Church.
23 responses to John E. Rooney
The Colvin Family says:
December 14, 2007
To John Jr., Patti, MaryAnn & Kathy:
Words alone cannot express the sorrow one feels at the loss of a loved one. Your dad was an extraordinary man who will be missed by all who knew him. He was a man of impeccable moral character and true integrity and it was a priviledge and an honor to call him friend.
We will miss your dad greatly and take comfort in the fact that he is now with Helen in happiness and peace.
May God bless you all during this difficult time and may the memories of the good times you spent with your father be a comfort to you all.
Pauline, David, Sarah & Sean.
John Kelly says:
December 16, 2007
I have had an opportunity to know the Rooney family for some time. I first met John Rooney Jr. at the University of North Texas. I must tell you that I was quite impressed with this young man. I knew immediately that he was from the kind of family that was quite special. He was in my pledge class at college. Later, I had the pleasure of meeting two of his sisters. I was again quite impressed by the family. It was much later that I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Rooney. John Rooney Sr. was a special human being and one that will be missed immensely. He was a gentle man, a teacher, a father, and a friend. I share in your loss and wish that God will bless you all as you go forward in life.
Dennis Kelly says:
December 17, 2007
To the Rooney family: I just wanted to join the other voices from the Kelly family in telling you how sorry I was to hear about John’s passing. You’ve lost a wonderful father and the world has lost a wonderful human being. Planted as I am on the East Coast, I never had the frequent encounters with John that others in the Kelly family have had. But his basic human decency and kind heart were always in evidence whenever we did cross paths, and his legacy — a terrific and caring family — speaks volumes about the kind of person he was. He will be missed, and I hope the good memories that everyone obviously has of him will comfort you through tough times.
Paul Murphy & Deirdre Flynn says:
December 17, 2007
Dear Rooney Family,
There is an old Gaelic saying used at times of mourning that goes : “Ni fheicimid a leithid aris” which simply means “We will not see his like again”.
I can’t think of anything more appropriate to say to you about John’s passing. He exemplified everything that was good in Christian values, practice and outlook. I will always treasure memories of his welcome,kindness, and hospitality during my visits to Laguna Hills.
We both regard it as a privilege to have known him and Helen and of course the wider Rooney family.
May we offer you our sincere sympathy at this sad time.
Tom Birmingham says:
December 17, 2007
Maryann,Kathy,Johnny,Patti, & Families,
I’m sorry to hear about the loss of your Dad. Uncle Jack was a dear & kind man who was always there for others. I remember when we visited, he would always take time to make sure we saw all the sites,in Iowa,VirginiaD.C.,Texas & California. Even though me & Mike just wanted to go the pool. He’d get us up at the crack of dawn and say “Let’s get movin” & it was always a fun and a great experience. I remember trying to run a 10K with him in Laguna, I
hadn’t run for years and the only tennis shoes I had we’re those Converse High tops not good for running which felt like I was running in Bozo’s shoes as I flopped across the finsh line, but it was fun doing that with him and I appreciated his encouragement. I’ll always cherish the memories of our visits with all my cousins, Uncle Jack, & my Godmother Aunt Helen. I’m keeping you all in my prayers & share my condolences.
God Bless, Tommy