Obituary of Thomas Cooney

Thomas Cooney entered into eternal rest on September 7th, 2025. Tom was born in Rathdrum, Fethard, County Tipperary, Ireland, in 1939 and was the son of Michael and Margaret (Quinlan) Cooney. He will be missed by all those who knew and loved him.

He was predeceased by his brother, Jim Cooney, and his daughter-in-law, Ricki Ortega-Cooney. He is survived by his former wife, Pauline (Rainsford) of Ridgefield, CT, his sister-in-law, Brigid Cooney, of Rathdrum, two sons, David of Port Washington, NY, and Michael of Otto, NC, four daughters and sons-in-law, Margaret and her husband Matthew Bagley of Rye, NY, Deirdre and her husband Mark DiSanto of Broad Channel, NY, Adrienne and her husband Brian Kenny of South Salem, NY, and Tricia and her fiance Tyler Peck, of New York, NY. He is also survived by Jim and Brigid’s eight children, James, Eleanor, Esther, Michael, Billy, Paddy, Martin, and Patricia, and their spouses, partners and children.

After finishing Coleman National School in Rathdrum, Co. Tipperary, Tom attended Patrician Brothers School in Fethard, Co. Tipperary. He went on to have a long and successful career in the airline industry, mostly at Aer Lingus, who gave him his first job at Shannon Airport in Ireland. In 1963, they offered him the opportunity to transfer to JFK in New York City, and he took it. He went back to Ireland the following year to marry Pauline at Bunratty Castle in Co. Clare and the two of them returned to New York to raise their family. Tipperary and Ireland were never far from his heart, and he brought the entire family “home” to visit as often as he could.  

Tom was an avid golfer, and an equally avid sports fan, adding two New York teams, the Mets and the Jets, to his beloved Tipperary hurling and football teams, which he never stopped supporting. He sent all six of his children to college, and he was endlessly proud of all of them. One of his greatest joys later in life was being “Pop Pop” to his nine beloved grandchildren, Christopher Cooney, Jack and Grace Kenny, Eamon, Henry, and Áine Bagley, Olivia DiSanto, and Charlotte and Clara Graf. Tom was a long-time parishioner at St. Thomas the Apostle R.C. Church in West Hempstead, NY.  

Relatives and friends are kindly invited to gather during Visiting Hours at Park Funeral Chapels, 2175 Jericho Turnpike in Garden City Park on Wednesday, September 10th, from 2-4 pm, and again from 6-9. His Funeral Mass will be celebrated the following day at 9:45 am at St. Brigid’s R.C. Church, 75 Post Avenue, Westbury NY. Following the mass we will proceed to his final resting place at Holy Rood Cemetery, right beside the church. 

In lieu of flowers, gifts in his memory may be made to either The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, or Ceol na NGael at WFUV. 

Event Link: https://masslivestream.com/permalink/j77tc83urj.33