Cocoa, Fla. – Daniel Philip Rooney of Cocoa Florida, formerly of Hudson MA and Sharon NH was laid to rest with his parents on August 9, 2023 at Hudson’s Forestvale Cemetery. Dan passed away on August 22, 2021 at the age of 64.
Born December 20, 1956, he grew up in Hudson, attended public schools where in high school he showed a talent and love for metal work though classes in silversmithing. He also was a pole-vaulter for track and field.
Dan went on to study at Wentworth Institute of Technology, and entered the metals trade becoming a sheet metal layout specialist and master welder. He was a member of the Ironworkers Union in FL. A few highlights of his career were working for Raytheon Corporation, Sanders Lockheed, and the NASA space program.
His parents Philip R. Rooney in 2006 and Carol M. J. Rooney in 2016 predecease him. He is survived by his bothers Patrick and David, son Patrick, son Phillip and his young family, his aunt Beverly, cousin Paula and husband David, friend and neighbor Inell, sister-in-law Laurel, nephews Kyle, Colin and Owen, cousins and friends, and two former wives Barbara and Rachel and their families to whom indebtedness is beyond measure.
Dan died from an accidental medication overdose. He suffered from alcoholism and substance abuse disorder for most of his adult life. He’d be the first to agree that addiction is a complicated and insidious disease, that intervention at an early age and ongoing treatment and support could have prevented much of the suffering and irreparable damage it caused himself, his family, and those especially close to him.
In Dan’s memory, gifts would be welcome by the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Addiction Medicine, Mass General Development Office, 125 Nashua St., Ste. 540, Boston MA 02114, (617) 726-2200.
