George Roney

George T. Roney of Vestal, age 85, died at Lourdes Hospital on Friday evening, October 13, 2017, of complications from Alzheimer’s and a sudden stroke. He is predeceased by his parents George P. and Doris B. (Burrow) Roney, long-time residents of Vestal, New York. He is survived by a large and loving family: especially by his beloved wife Sharon E. (Garvey) Roney of Vestal; by his two beloved children, Thomas P. (and Debra Long) Roney of Tampa, Florida, and Dana P. Roney Nauerz of Johnson City, New York; by his adored three grandchildren, Zachary T. Roney (and fiancé Frances Truett) of New Orleans, Louisiana; Andrew J. Roney (and fiancé Bonnie Rae Joyce) of Tampa, Florida; and Kayla Shea Roney of Tampa, Florida; by his sister, Eleanor E. (and Gary) Wilcox of Falls Church, Virginia; by the extended Garvey clan (the near and dear relatives of Sharon, who bestowed Clan membership on this Welshman after ten apprentice years, and to include to his end days the Luck of the Irish); and by his many beloved and adoring nieces and nephews. George was a life-long resident of Vestal, proud always of its history and beauty. He was a graduate of Vestal High School and then Springfield (Massachusetts) College (B.S., 1954). He served two years in the U.S. Army (1954–56) and then returned to Vestal, where he was hired by the Vestal Central School District. He was first a teacher (briefly), and a coach and trainer (for Dick Hoover’s football program); after graduate doctoral studies he was a guidance counselor, then a school psychologist, and finally a central administrator. He retired in 1989 and dedicated himself to his long-time commitment to community service, especially in sport and charity events.George was a basketball referee from 1960 and became a lifetime member of the International Association Approved Basketball Officials (IAABO) and Board 49 Southern Tier Basketball Officials. As a member of IAABO and Board 49 he had a long career of officiating high school and college games (“running the floor” as it is called). He additionally served terms as a vice-president, later as the president, and finally as the treasurer/assigner of Board 49. Concerned that girls’ basketball should have the same high standards of officiating, in 1980 he became the Executive Secretary-Treasurer of New York State Girls Basketball Officials Association, a position he actively fulfilled for thirty-five years. He was the driving force in establishing the constitution of the association and worked diligently to raise the quality of the game and of the officiating of girls’ basketball programs throughout New York State. He felt strongly that girls’ basketball should be understood as equal to the boys’ game. In 2000 he was inducted to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Section IV Hall of Fame in recognition of his “Outstanding Achievement in Athletics.” Golf was one of the many sports George loved and tried to play well with his buddies. He was a B.C. Open tournament volunteer since 1974, serving as Pro-Am Chairman until 2009. He was an integral part not only of the B.C. Open but also its parent Broome County Community Charities, Inc. When Dick’s Sporting Goods Open began in 2006 he continued volunteer work and was named Volunteer of the Year in 2013. During the decade of the nineties he was a volunteer at the Masters Tournament in Augusta. Everyone knows he loved golf and basketball and family gatherings, but not many know how much George loved the Mets, the Red Sox (even amidst the Clan’s avid Yankee heritage), Nina Simone recordings, BBC videos, weekends in New York City, reading, Gracie’s pasta creations and Patti’s sauces, his four-legged friend Oona, Portugal, and his mother-in-law, Jane Dillon Garvey. George was known as a kidder among his family members. He taught us all a lot about family, love, loyalty, hospitality, and fun. He truly believed in supporting young people, and he loved each young family member with all his heart. They will remember his generosity and the dry/sly humor he offered them: suggesting the opposite of his belief or feeling and waiting with a straight face until they realized the tease.
Funeral Services for George will be held on Friday at 11 am at the Allen Memorial Home, 511-513 East Main Street, Endicott, with Reverend Mark Kimpland of Endwell United Methodist Church officiating. Burial will be in Vestal Hills Memorial Park. The family will receive friends at the Allen Memorial Home, Friday from 9 am until Service time at 11 am.