Obituary of Elizabeth T. Rooney

ELIZABETH ROONEY Nursing Director, Painter, Loving Wife, Mom, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother April 10, 1931 - Nov. 10, 2009 Elizabeth "Betty" Therese Rooney of Youngstown, N.Y., passed away after a short illness on Nov. 10. She retired in 1991, after a forty-year nursing career which included nearly 25 years in managerial positions at Mount St. Mary's Hospital. From 1982 until her retirement, she served as director of nursing service. Prior positions at the hospital included nursing supervisor for the night shift, head nurse on the third floor medical-surgical unit, rehabilitation nurse, diabetic teaching instructor and patient review coordinator. She was highly regarded by and is fondly remembered by the nurses, staff members and physicians who worked alongside her during her long tenure at the hospital. Throughout her nursing career, she worked on the front lines of health care, helping thousands of patients heal and comforting families in times of crisis. After she retired in the 1990s, she won awards for her scenic watercolor paintings of nature, and she volunteered at the Youngstown Library and on Mount St. Mary's Hospital's centennial committee. Born in Buffalo on April 10, 1931, Mrs. Rooney was one of four daughters born to Helen Fitzgibbons and John Gorman. She attended Mount Mercy High School and earned her R.N. from the Mercy Hospital School of Nursing in Buffalo in 1951. She worked at the hospital and several other health care facilities in Western New York and Massachusetts prior to moving to Lewiston in the 1960s. In 1981, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in community health service from the SUNYAB Empire State College. She married Francis E. Rooney on June 24, 1953, upon his return from the Korean War, and the couple moved to Boston, Mass., where Mr. Rooney completed his four-year tour of duty with the U.S. Air Force. The couple's daughter, Ellen Marie, was born in Boston in 1954 during the middle of a raging hurricane. Their daughter Ann Elizabeth was born on a perfectly calm Labor Day in Buffalo two years later. Mrs. Rooney's daughter Ann said, "Many people search for words to describe their mother and come up with 'angel.' Our Mom was more than that. She truly lived a life of humble, saintly service that always put others first, no matter what. She was devoted to her immediate and extended family, her beloved sisters, friends, colleagues and patients. On her wedding day, she wanted to share her joy with her patients at a polio clinic in Buffalo, so my parents left their reception early just to share some cake and stories with them. Years later, despite working full-time, she and our Dad invited both of their mothers and an orphaned nephew to live with us so they could give them loving care. She and Dad also rescued several SPCA dogs and supported many worthy causes, including the Chiapas, Mexico healthcare mission coordinated by the Stella Niagara Franciscan nuns and her colleague and dear friend, Robert Bull, M.D. She was kind-hearted, fun-loving and courageous and she always looked for the best in people. Like poet Ralph Waldo Emerson, she realized 'beauty is God's handwriting, a sacrament' and she celebrated the beauty of the seasons in her paintings." Her daughter Ellen said, "Betty Rooney was one of those remarkable individuals who was an inspiration to all who knew her. She worked long day or night shifts without complaint, had an ever-present smile, a contagious optimism, and a zest for life and learning. She was a best friend to my sister and I, to our Dad, and to her sisters Mary, Peggy and Jean. She will always be a role model of kindness and compassion for our whole family." Mrs. Rooney is survived by her husband of 56 years, Francis E. Rooney; her daughter Ellen Marie (Ted) Plante of Getzville, N.Y.; her daughter Ann Elizabeth (Fred) Heuer of Lewiston, N.Y.; and her grandchildren Kelly (Jeff) Joyce of Buffalo; Christopher Plante of Columbus, OH; and Marlene Heuer of Rochester, N.Y., and great-grandchild Alex Joyce of Buffalo, N.Y. She is also survived by her sisters, Jean (Tom) Morsheimer of Tonawanda, N.Y., and Peggy (Marty) McGrath of West Seneca, N.Y. and numerous nieces, nephews, and sister-in-laws and brother-in-laws. She was predeceased by her oldest sister, Mary Brooks, and her parents, Helen and John Gorman of Buffalo. A private family wake will be held on Thursday, Nov. 12. A public Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Bernard's Roman Catholic Church, Hinman & Second St., Youngstown, N.Y. at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 13. Burial will be at the convenience of the family at Holy Cross Cemetery, Lackawana, NY. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Mount St. Mary's Hospital Foundation, 5300 Military Rd., Lewiston, NY. 14092.