John Francis Mooney, age 83, of The Villages, FL passed away peacefully Thursday, November 11th, 2021, with his sons by his side while under the care of UF Health Shands, Gainesville, FL.
John was born December 8th, 1937, to John F. and Rita Mooney in the Bronx, New York where he grew up surrounded by a close-knit family living within blocks of each other. There John met and married the love of his life, Margaret (Peggy) Anderson, and they enjoyed 60 wonderful years together until Peggy’s passing in 2016. John went to Fordham Preparatory High School and then on to City College of New York. With his young family growing he worked multiple jobs and attended evening college classes and earned a BS in Mathematics and MS in Mathematics. John worked for Combustion Engineering for 26 years as AVP and Tele Spot for 10 years as VP/CFO. While at CE he started in an entry level position and soon thereafter began his rise to AVP. His career with CE took the family to Wellsville, NY, Westfield, NJ, East Longmeadow, MA, Cinnaminson, NJ, West Hartford, CT and finally West Norwalk, CT. John was well respected and sought out often for the most difficult assignments. John found it easy to reach out and stay in touch with a friend or loved one. Often traveling to faraway places to attend a family event, visit with old friends, or lend a helping hand. John took a special interest in his Irish heritage doing extensive research. Upon discovering relatives in Ireland, John and two of his sons traveled to Ireland to visit many of their newfound relatives and learn more of the family history. A lifelong interest in music and the harmonica became a passion after moving to The Villages.A lifelong interest in music and the harmonica became a passion after moving to The Villages. John joined and soon led The Villages Harmonica Club for many years, providing instruction and entertainment to countless Villagers. The band was an immense source of joy and deep friendships for John for all the years he lived in The Villages. John was perhaps most proud of his efforts providing harmonicas and therapeutic instruction to those suffering from Parkinson’s Disease and bringing the band to perform for various memory care facilities where their music was a great source of joy and connection. He will be deeply missed by his sons: John F. Mooney Jr. and his wife Kathy Davis of The Villages, FL; Michael Mooney and his wife Lorin Bell of Randolph, NJ; Stephen Mooney of Laguna Niguel, CA; Mark Mooney and Keely Spada of Stratford, CT and David Mooney and his wife Bonnie Reynolds of Stratford, CT. He was the proud grandfather of nine grandchildren and is also survived by his sister Meg Boyle and her husband Tom of Manorville, NY; brother Thomas Mooney and his wife Kathie of Commack, NY; and sister Kathy Giagrande and her husband Joe of Commack, NY. He was predeceased by his wife, Margaret, son, James, and sisters: Rita and Patricia.
John and Peggy will be interred at Cavalry Cemetery in Queens, NY at a celebration of his life with family and friends at a later date.
