Paul Leo Cooney

Paul Leo Cooney, Jr., 60, of Island Pond, Vermont died on May 10, 2004 at North County Hospital in Newport following a lengthy illness. Mr. Cooney was born on February 3, 1944 in Worcester, MA. He graduated from Paxton Center School, receiving the American Legion Award. Then, he went on to graduate from Wachusett Regional High School in Holden, MA. He was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and a member of the Paxton and Island Pond American Legions. He worked for the Worcester Wire Company in MA and drove a cab for years in Worcester. He also worked for the phone company in VT. Later, from 1986-1997 he worked as a millwright in the carpenter's union on jobs like the airport in Golden, Colorado. After the island of St. Crois was destroyed by hurricane Hugo in 1989, Paul went with other carpenters to provide disaster relief and rebuild homes. He provided this type of disaster relief as needed over the years. He loved mountains and lakes, hunting and fishing (especially for rainbow trout.) He loved green apples and blackberries, nature and wildlife. He was involved with local politics (helping to prevent widespread indiscriminate use of herbicides on the forests of VT.) He followed world politics closely, and loved to read. He loved his family and friends. We'll miss him very much. A memorial service will be held at the First Congregational Church of Paxton; 1 Church Street, Paxton, MA at 7:00 on 5/28/04. There will also be a memorial service at the American Legion Post 80, 60 Railroad Street, Island Pond, VT at 4:00 on 5/29/04. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Lung Association, 1 Abbey Lane, Middleboro, MA 02346; or to a charity of your choice.