Obituary of Gerald Cooney

After bravely fighting for several weeks, Dr. Gerald Evans Cooney passed away among family on January 9, 2021. Although heartbroken, we know he is finally with his beloved bride, Jean, who passed away on January 22, 2012. Born on January 6, 1932, in Kansas City, Missouri, Jerry was the only child of Leo P. Cooney and Edith Evans. Jerry grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and graduated from Creighton Prep High School and Creighton University. He served his country in the United States Coast Guard during the Korean War. He then earned a post-graduate degree as a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Nebraska in 1960. Jerry and Jean met while working at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Omaha and married on November 22, 1958. They then moved East to Brooklyn Heights in 1960, where they worked in Manhattan at Bellevue and St. Vincent’s Hospitals, with Jerry completing his residency as an Obstetrician/Gynecologist and Jean working as an RN. After Sean and Brian were born, they moved to Connecticut, first to a small apartment in Bridgeport and then to the dream home they built together “on the hill” in Black Rock. Jerry joined the OB/GYN Specialty Group down the street from St. Vincent’s Hospital in Bridgeport in 1965 and delivered more than 2,500 babies over 26 years. Jerry had a passion for his work and his children all have stories of people who spoke fondly of their experiences with “Doctor Cooney.” It was not uncommon for one of the kids to be stopped by an excited woman and told, “Your father delivered my baby, …” followed by a warm or funny story. He also had a love of sailing, spending many years sailing Long Island Sound out of Black Rock Yacht Club and making summer trips to Block Island, Nantucket, and Port Jefferson with his family and friends. Daily walks around St. Mary’s with Jean and their yellow Labradors and watching old movies and college basketball were enjoyed in retirement. He was most happy bragging about his children and being “Pop” to his 7 grandchildren. He will be lovingly remembered by his family, including his son, Sean Cooney, and wife, Michelle, of Stamford, and their children, Alexandra Cooney of Jacksonville, NC and Scarlett Cooney of Stamford; his son, Brian Cooney, of Syracuse, NY and his child, Olivia Cooney, of Knoxville, Tennessee; his daughter, Michaela Cooney, and her children, Conor and Maeve Trudell, all of Simsbury; his daughter, Siobhan McCormack and husband, Jim, and their children, Liam and Grace McCormack, all of Black Rock. Services will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family would welcome a donation to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation (www.Komen.org) in honor of Jean Cooney. To sign his online guest register, please visit www.LeskoPolkeFuneralHome.com.