Arthur Patrick Mooney of Truro, Boston, and Newport, R.I. died on Sept. 20, 2021 at Cape Cod Hospital following a brief illness. He was 89.
Pat Mooney was born in Truro on March 17, 1932 to Agnes (Joseph) Mooney and Francis J. Mooney. His father died when Pat was 10, and his mother raised him and five siblings on Apple Dick Farm, now the site of Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill. The family was poor, and during Pat’s high school years he delivered milk and worked in construction. He attended Provincetown High School, where he played on the school’s football team but apparently lacked enthusiasm for his studies.
Pat’s niece Elizabeth Mooney described his high school report cards as “sketchy.” He was often absent. He did graduate, however, and then joined the U.S. Marine Corps, serving from 1950 to 1953 and attaining the rank of sergeant. He was stationed in Korea with the 1st Marine Division and fought in three major battles as a forward artillery leader for a 155-millimeter Howitzer battery.
After his military service, Pat was determined to go to college, and the G.I. Bill gave him the means to do so. To improve his record as a student, he attended the Newman Preparatory School in Boston and was accepted to Boston College, where he earned a management degree in 1958.
His first job, in 1959, was with the Behr-Manning Corp., a manufacturer of sandpaper and related products in Albany, N.Y. Later, he became a stock broker in Boston, which he called home for the rest of his life.
Pat was a well-known and respected member of the equity trading community in Boston for many years. His final position was vice president of institutional trading for First Albany.
In Boston, he met Mary Walsh, a fellow Boston College graduate, and they married in 1989. After more than 10 years of marriage, the couple divorced but remained good friends.
After establishing his career in Boston, Pat bought a house on Depot Road in Truro, primarily for the benefit of his mother, on whom he doted. In later years, the house was the site of lively Easter egg hunts and children’s races. In the summer, Pat would load nieces and nephews into his long green station wagon to get treats at the Dairy King on Route 6.
In 1987, he bought a house in Newport, where he would retreat for weekends of golf. He became a part of the “famous grouse club,” a group of golfers based at the Newport Country Club. Formed in 1984 by a group of British and American golfers, the club organized annual golf tournaments that alternated among courses in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, England, Scotland, and Ireland.
Pat loved good Scotch, a good cigar, and a good cup of coffee. He had a genius for friendship, said niece Elizabeth. “In his last four years, he had this whole world going on” centered on the Cru Café in Newport. “Bonds that developed over coffee ripened into friendship among Pat, the workers, and regular customers,” she said. When someone did not arrive for morning coffee, the others would check in on the missing friend.
Pat was fiercely loyal and generous, faithfully attending family events regardless of the travel required. He had the twinkling blue eyes of a playful prankster who was often quite a handful. He was hard-working, hilarious, and independent. He was, in short, a gentleman to the last.
He is survived by a brother, George Mooney, and wife Janet of Truro; his sister-in-law, Carol Mooney of Truro; 11 nieces and nephews; a slew of great-nieces and -nephews; and many dear friends. He was predeceased by his brothers Francis Mooney and Denis Mooney of Truro and his sisters, Dolores Rose of Truro and Marguerite Krumpelbeck of West Islip, N.Y.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Peter the Apostle Church, 11 Prince St., Provincetown at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 6. Burial in Truro and a gathering to celebrate Pat’s life will follow.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that mourners make a charitable donation in Pat’s name.
To express condolences, visit gatelyfuneralservice.com.
