Paid Notice: Our beloved mother, Barbara Ann Beitel Cooney, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 22nd, 2025. Her family traveled from near and far to say their goodbyes and to show their appreciation and love. Mom was able to leave this earth knowing how very much she meant to her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, siblings, nieces, nephews, extended family and friends, and for this we are most grateful.
Barbara was born in Miami, Florida on Easter Sunday, April 9th, 1939 to Rita M. Eich and Remsen H. Beitel. She spent most of her life in Farmingdale, New York, East Hampton, New York and later in Naples, Florida, where she lived close to her children and grandchildren. In her earlier years, she graduated from Weldon E. Howitt High School in Farmingdale, NY, worked for Trans World Airlines (TWA), and in 1959, traveled with a friend to Japan to visit her uncle who was stationed there.
She married Richard J. Cooney (now her former spouse) in 1960, and they raised their children together in East Hampton, NY.
When her children were grown, mom went back to school to earn her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education from Southampton College and then continued on to earn her Master’s Degree in Education with an emphasis on history. Her Master’s thesis included the mapping out of all of the very early homestead foundational ruins, wells and family graveyards of the Northwest Woods section of East Hampton. She produced documentation and research which still resides at the East Hampton Public Library. It would be many years later that mom learned that her own ancestry could be traced to the founding of nearby Southampton, Long Island, NY in the 1640’s.
She taught for many years at the St Andrews School which later became Stella Maris in Sag Harbor. Here she also worked diligently as an active volunteer for religious education and due to her tireless fundraising skills, she was able to take her class to Italy one year to visit the Vatican. She was also very active in her home church, Most Holy Trinity in East Hampton, New York. Mom was a lifelong and devoted spectator at all of her children’s (and later grandchildren’s) sporting and musical events; nothing made her happier or prouder than cheering on her loved ones from the sidelines throughout the years.
She is survived by her four loving children and their spouses: Patricia Rodriguez (Thomas), Richard Cooney (Sylvia), Diane Carillo (Vincent) and John Cooney (Carrie). She simply adored her ten grandchildren: Christopher (Kristen), Stephanie (Matthew), Justin, Brianna (Tyler), Tyler (Alana), Erica, Brett, Lauren, Cameron and Logan. Her great grandchildren Lillian, Mia, Crew, Enzo, and Charlotte also held a very special place in her heart. Mom also leaves behind her cherished siblings and their spouses: Remsen Beitel (Ellen), Gerard Beitel (MaryEllen), Patricia Santa-Coloma (Juan), and her beloved sister and brother-in-law Jane and Roger Dooley.
A funeral mass will be held for Barbara at 11:00 AM on Monday, May 5th 2025, at St John the Evangelist Catholic Church located at 625 111th Ave, in Naples, Florida. A Catholic burial will immediately follow.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to The STARability Foundation in Barbara Cooney’s name, https://starability.org 720 Goodlette Frank Road, Suite # 400, Naples, Fl 34102
