First Posted: 1/14/2015
PITTSTON — He retired 30 years ago, but Jim Rooney hasn’t had much time to sit down and recount his first 60 years of life.
Now, at 90, Rooney is as busy as ever. His plate just got a little fuller.
Rooney, a lifelong Greater Pittston resident, was recently named the grand marshal of the 2015 Greater Pittston St. Patrick’s Day Parade by the parade committee.
“I was wondering why they picked me,” Rooney laughed. “Why me? I have no idea. They must have been looking for an old guy.”
The 2015 Greater Pittston St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held on Saturday, March 7. Prior to last year’s parade, the last parade to celebrate all things Irish in Pittston was held in the 1950s. Rooney was there.
Rooney graduated from Jenkins Township High School in 1941. Shortly thereafter, he enlisted in the military where he spent eight months in Europe during World War II. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge, which took place from Dec. 16, 1944 through Jan. 25, 1945.
Rooney would return home to graduate from the University of Scranton and become and accountant for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He retired from that position in 1984.
Married to the former Margaret Mary Hennigan, who was a teacher at Pittston Area and passed away in 2011, Rooney kept active after he retired from his accounting profession.
He’s an active member of St. John’s the Evangelist and part of the ministry at Our Lady of Eucharist Church. He’s been a lectern, a senior altar server and an usher.
Currently, he’s a member of the Greater Pittston Friendly Sons of St. Patrick and is a fourth degree member of the Pittston Knights of Columbus. He is a past grand knight. A member for 65 years, he held the position of financial secretary for 20 years.
“It’s pretty neat that they picked me,” Rooney said. “I just hope it’s a good turnout and the weather is nice. I though last year was a very nice parade. They did a great job.”
Although the parade is only in its second year since it was decommissioned in the 1950s, Rooney is no stranger to the Pittston parades. Growing up, he remembers the first parades held. He was a flag bearer for the Friendly Sons during those parades.
He remembers the crowds, and hopes this year’s parade is no different.
“We had some pretty good crowds back then with good turnouts,” he said. “I used to be a flag bearer for that for quite a while.”
Rooney has two children, James and Karen. James is the Pittston City Fire Chief, while Karen works as an auditor for the state Department of Revenue out of Scranton.
Parade plans on track
Pittston Special Events Coordinator Sarah Donahue is looking forward to a bigger and better parade here in 2015. Some things have changed, but for the most part it will stay the same.
The biggest complaint last year was the lack of bathroom facilities. Donahue said that’s being taken care of.
Other than that, Donahue and the city estimated 15,000 to 20,000 people came out to the event. The parade itself had 125 different groups of marchers. This year, Donahue would like to see more.
Applications are currently being taken for anyone who would like to march in the parade. The parade is open to anyone. For more information, contact Donahue at sdonahue@cityofpittston.org.
There will be several new events at the parade this year.
The Greater Pittston Ambulance and Rescue will hold a Parade Day Party at 83 S. Main St. The event will be much like the Tomato Festival beer stand at the firehouse. Food and beverages will be available for purchase, along with entertainment from 98.5 KRZ’s Fishboy. The tent will also have special guest throughout the day. Sponsorship opportunities are available by calling Frank Cawley at 570-407-1497.
Five pipe bands will grace Pittston with their Irish sounds. The Eclectic Circus and the Amrev 2 band will also be on hand again this year.
Once again this year, the committee will be organizing a pre-sale on the official parade T-shirts. Plans for that are still being finalized.
Something special
Donahue would give away any hints. However, she did say this year will be extra special because of who will be there.
A special guest will be on hand to take in the parade and possibly make rounds through Pittston during the day. Stay tuned in the next couple weeks for the announcement.
