Obituary of Quinn Patrick Rooney
Quinn was born on October 19, 1992, in New Haven, Connecticut. He was the son of Chris and Susan (Wright) Rooney. He lived his life fully and with unbelievable joy and faith until he went peacefully to be with the Lord on June 22, 2012. Quinn loved his family with all his heart. He cherished his brothers Joe and Brendan, his sister Katie, his grandparents, his godparents, and his numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. In May of 2007, he was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer, diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma; this never slowed him down. He graduated from Fairfield Prep in 2010. He went to Loyola University Chicago for two years, where he completed two fall semesters. He also finished two spring semesters at Fairfield University.
Quinn played sports as a child, often coached by his Dad. He eventually realized that sports were not for him, and in the seventh grade Quinn found his true passion; theater. He started by acting in Inside Out and after that he tried out for every play that he could, often being cast in more than one at a time. He was a very dedicated Prep Player, a regular on stage at Lauralton Hall, and in the summers performed with In the Spotlight in Stratford. He wrote and directed a play titled Admission for the Paperclip Play Project in January 2010. His last performance was at Loyola in The Time of Your Life in December 2010. One of his biggest hopes was to see the Stratford Shakespeare Theatre, which he lived next to, reopen for performances. Another passion of Quinns was Camp Hole-in-the-Wall in Ashford. He was both a camper and a counselor in training there; it was truly one of his favorite places in the world.
Quinn always fancied himself quite a man of the world, and he managed to touch land on some of the most beautiful places on earth. He traveled to England, Ireland, Italy, Australia, Ecuador, and all across North America. His trip to Australia would not have been possible without the help of the Make-A-Wish foundations generous help, and it was one of his most treasured experiences.
Even more important than his time abroad was Quinns time at Fairfield Prep. At Prep, Quinns faith in God and commitment to serve grew deeper. He became the living embodiment of the term a man for others. He always had a smile on his face, and words of encouragement or hugs to give. In his short life, he managed to inspire countless people with his faith, joy and indefatigable spirit.
One man, in his time, plays many parts, and Quinn was no exception. He was a brother, an actor, a lover of the arts, a world traveler, and most importantly, a truly loyal friend. In his last hours we asked his friends to send him words of encouragement. We were overwhelmed with the multitude of friends who sent their prayers and love to him in the form of emails and letters, which we shared with him. He left this world knowing what an indelible mark he left on everyone who knew him.
He is survived by his grandparents David and Josephine Wright of Pocasset, Massachusetts, Dorothy Rooney of Lady Lake, Florida, and Jay Rooney of Coatesville, Pennsylvania, godparents Mark Spence of Cork, Ireland and Ann Buchman of Brevard, North Carolina, numerous aunts, uncles and cousins, dozens of brothers from Fairfield Prep and sisters from Laurelton Hall and countless friends.
Family and friends are invited to meet directly in St. James Church, 2110 Main Street, Stratford on Wednesday, June 27, 2012 at 10:30 a.m. for a Mass of Christian Burial. Interment will follow in Riverside Cemetery, Shelton. Family and friends may call on Tuesday from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. at The Abriola Parkview Funeral Home, 419 White Plains Road, Trumbull.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to http://csn.donordrive.com/campaign/quinn_rooney.