HEENEY, Edward J

HEENEY, Edward J. (of Wellesley, Massachusetts, USA) - Died April 19, 2009. While Ed Heeney's heart was pure Irish, with his passionate love of family, his adventurous spirit and questioning mind were quintessentially American. Ed stepped off the plane from Dublin at 19 and embraced the opportunity and complexity of his new land. He appreciated his ability to pursue a college and post graduate degree from Boston University, never minding the hard work it was to pay for it. He travelled the length and breadth of the county and met each new experience with excitement, never finding obstacles, only challenges. Throughout his life, he was guided by two principles: profound love of family and relentless pursuit of knowledge. When he and his wife, Kathryn, first fell in love, he took her to Ireland so she could know who and what formed him, proudly introducing her to the family he so treasured. All his life, his heart remained open to his family, enjoying the company and laughter of his siblings, delighting in the exploits of his numerous nieces and nephews, loving his step daughter as his own and clearly claiming the affection of his grandson and namesake, Jonathan Eamon. An avid reader, his library and knowledge of all matters history were prodigious, matched only by his enthusiasm for vegetable gardening. The first tomato of the season was his crowning glory. Ed was the beloved husband of Kathryn Arnone; devoted step-father of Jenna Matheson Guedel of Wellesley; loving grandfather of Jonathan Eamon Guedel of Wellesley; the son of the late Harry and Catherine Heeney; cherished brother of Harry Heeney, Patrick Heeney, Carol Carney, David Heeney, Liam Heeney, Linda Reynell, all of Dublin, James Heeney of Birmingham, England, Kathleen Rhodes of Florida, beloved brother-in-law of Bill Corliss and the cherished brother of the late Elizabeth Corliss and Marie Swofford. He also is survived by his many nieces and nephews, whom he adored very much. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Friday, April 24, at 11 a.m. in St. Paul's Church in Wellesley, Massachusetts. A visitation was held on on Thursday, April 23, from 4-8 p.m. at the J. S. Waterman & Sons & Waring Funeral Home in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Memorial contributions in memory of Edward J. Heeney to the Wellesley Fire Fighters' Relief Organization, 457 Worcester Street, Wellesley, MA 02482 USA. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to J. S. Waterman & Sons & Waring Funeral Home, Wellesley, Massachusetts, U.S.A.