William J. Rooney, Jr

William J. Rooney, Jr, 55, of Manhattan, N.Y., formerly of Newtown, died on October 8 following a long illness.

Mr Rooney was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on March 8, 1948, son of the late William J. Rooney, Sr, and Mary O’Brien Rooney of Rockaway, N.Y.

He graduated from the University of Bridgeport and worked for many years as sales manager and then vice president of sales at the Cornwall & Patterson Co. in Bridgeport.

In addition to his mother, Mr Rooney is survived by a son, William J. Rooney III and his wife Amy of Newtown; two daughters, Constance Schmiedecke and her husband Don of Oxford, and Clairemarie Rooney of Brookfield; and his ex-wife Susan Unger Rooney of Newtown. He is also survived by four grandchildren, Keara Main, Graydon Schmiedecke, and Jacob and Evan Rooney; and by a brother, Timothy Rooney and his wife Dorothy of Rockville Centre, Long Island; a sister, Mary Ann Rooney of Rockaway, N.Y.; and two nephews.

A Mass of Christian burial was held at St Camilla’s Church in Rockaway on October 10. The family requests that in Bill’s memory, friends perform a random act of kindness towards another.

The Newtown Bee       October 17, 2003