Obituary for Daniel Maloney
“Oh Danny Boy/the pipes/ the pipes are calling//
From Glen to Glen /and down the mountainside/
The summer’s gone /and all the roses falling/
It’s you/ it’s you/ must go/ and I must stay//”
Eric Liddell/ Olympic medalist from Scotland in the 1924 Paris Olympics/ said in the movie, Chariots of Fire:
“ I believe that God made me for a purpose//
But he also made me fast//
And when I run, I feel His pleasure//.
My brother in law/ Dan and I both ran for Sacred Heart High School under Coach Robinson a few years apart// : running the Aqueduct/ the North Yonkers hills up to Hastings/down to Neppheran Avenue/ Tibbetts Brook Park/the Glen/ Van Cortland Park/the flats/ and of course, Cemetery Hill. Let me tell you, those hills could teach you a thing or two…
For the record, Maloney ran a 4:24 mile / a 9:06 two mile,/and a 13.59 three mile. On a 10 mile invitational run in the Eastern Kentucky area/ he won, finishing in 51:06, on a cinder packed horse track oval.
Mary Lou/ who also graduated with Dan from Sacred Heart caught up with him years later /at a high school reunion// The rest as they say /is history//
We all knew it was the perfect match/didn’t we?// They glowed! Those of you who danced at their anniversary party could feel it and see it. Mary Lou and Dan/ Dan and Mary Lou/ Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers /in mind and heart//We felt the love//
Over the years/ Danny raced alongside Mary Lou,/a life filled with travel/a summer home in Elizaville/ companionship and laughter//I can still hear a refrain from Danny when he was surprised at something/ “He’d utter with incredulity: “Huh!”/ or upon first seeing you he’d declare “ How are ya?!” ( Please let’s say it again, on a count of 1-2-3 : How are ya!) Ah…thank you//
Kayaking on the Hudson with Tony /or on Maine’s Penobscot Bay/attending the Annual Millrose Games/ grilling burgers at the house/sharing a cold beer- in Ireland- or dinner at an Irish pub / supporting the faith community at Mass here in St. Eugene’s//Dan Maloney lived a life in full/. He knew the power of prayer//
My wife Jean and I also remain grateful for their spoiling of our three sons/from childhood to adulthood//
Dan and Mary Lou loved God/putting their faith in action/ especially in Dan’s career in recreational therapy/and Mary Lou’s elementary school teaching// Their shared connections with others is evident by your attendance here today// You know who you are. You showed up, in so many splendid ways//
Danny’s final road race was like mile 20 of a marathon/ when the last six miles, 385 yards feels like the first 20// Yet every morning, “in sunshine or in shadow/” he chose to lace up his running shoes,/ embracing the day with grit/acceptance and humility/ following the path set before him, with a smile and a prayer //and Mary Lou//
In sum, Dan Maloney lived out the words of Scripture: // I have fought the good fight/ I have finished the race//I have kept the faith//
May we all remain grateful for sharing his journey.
“ But come ye back /when summer’s in the meadow/
or when the valley’s hushed and white with snow/
For we’ll be there/ in sunshine or in shadow/
Oh, Danny Boy/oh Danny Boy/ we’ve loved you so.”
From Glen to Glen /and down the mountainside/
The summer’s gone /and all the roses falling/
It’s you/ it’s you/ must go/ and I must stay//”
Eric Liddell/ Olympic medalist from Scotland in the 1924 Paris Olympics/ said in the movie, Chariots of Fire:
“ I believe that God made me for a purpose//
But he also made me fast//
And when I run, I feel His pleasure//.
My brother in law/ Dan and I both ran for Sacred Heart High School under Coach Robinson a few years apart// : running the Aqueduct/ the North Yonkers hills up to Hastings/down to Neppheran Avenue/ Tibbetts Brook Park/the Glen/ Van Cortland Park/the flats/ and of course, Cemetery Hill. Let me tell you, those hills could teach you a thing or two…
For the record, Maloney ran a 4:24 mile / a 9:06 two mile,/and a 13.59 three mile. On a 10 mile invitational run in the Eastern Kentucky area/ he won, finishing in 51:06, on a cinder packed horse track oval.
Mary Lou/ who also graduated with Dan from Sacred Heart caught up with him years later /at a high school reunion// The rest as they say /is history//
We all knew it was the perfect match/didn’t we?// They glowed! Those of you who danced at their anniversary party could feel it and see it. Mary Lou and Dan/ Dan and Mary Lou/ Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers /in mind and heart//We felt the love//
Over the years/ Danny raced alongside Mary Lou,/a life filled with travel/a summer home in Elizaville/ companionship and laughter//I can still hear a refrain from Danny when he was surprised at something/ “He’d utter with incredulity: “Huh!”/ or upon first seeing you he’d declare “ How are ya?!” ( Please let’s say it again, on a count of 1-2-3 : How are ya!) Ah…thank you//
Kayaking on the Hudson with Tony /or on Maine’s Penobscot Bay/attending the Annual Millrose Games/ grilling burgers at the house/sharing a cold beer- in Ireland- or dinner at an Irish pub / supporting the faith community at Mass here in St. Eugene’s//Dan Maloney lived a life in full/. He knew the power of prayer//
My wife Jean and I also remain grateful for their spoiling of our three sons/from childhood to adulthood//
Dan and Mary Lou loved God/putting their faith in action/ especially in Dan’s career in recreational therapy/and Mary Lou’s elementary school teaching// Their shared connections with others is evident by your attendance here today// You know who you are. You showed up, in so many splendid ways//
Danny’s final road race was like mile 20 of a marathon/ when the last six miles, 385 yards feels like the first 20// Yet every morning, “in sunshine or in shadow/” he chose to lace up his running shoes,/ embracing the day with grit/acceptance and humility/ following the path set before him, with a smile and a prayer //and Mary Lou//
In sum, Dan Maloney lived out the words of Scripture: // I have fought the good fight/ I have finished the race//I have kept the faith//
May we all remain grateful for sharing his journey.
“ But come ye back /when summer’s in the meadow/
or when the valley’s hushed and white with snow/
For we’ll be there/ in sunshine or in shadow/
Oh, Danny Boy/oh Danny Boy/ we’ve loved you so.”