February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Timothy Rooney, who has been president of Yonkers Raceway for the past 33 years, will succeed 2004 grand marshal Denis Kelleher.
Rooney’s elevation to what is the arguably the highest honor that can be bestowed on an Irish American was set to be announced Tuesday night by the parade organizing committee.
Rooney is the third son of Pittsburgh Steelers founder Arthur J. Rooney Sr.
“He is a wonderful man,” said parade committee chairman John Dunleavy of the new grand marshal.
In addition to Yonkers Raceway, Rooney has a number of business interests in both the U.S. and Ireland and is a director of the American Ireland Fund.
The parade committee lauded Rooney for his charity work for Irish and community organizations.
Rooney is a recipient of the Terence Cardinal Cooke Award as well as many other awards and citations from Irish community, charitable and sporting organizations.
Rooney and his wife June have five grown children, Kathleen, Margaret, Timothy Jr., Bridget and Cara, 17 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
The parade that Rooney will lead up Fifth Avenue is shaping up to be an especially large affair because of the day it falls on.
“There is an enormous number of bands wanting to march because it’s a Friday. For those coming from outside the New York it’s possible to include the parade as part of a full educational weekend,” said chairman Dunleavy.
The parade will also have a strong emotional component because it will be led by the full Fighting 69th Regiment, which recently returned to New York after a grueling tour of duty in Iraq.
Rooney will be officially installed as grand marshal at a ceremony in the New York Athletic Club on Jan. 24.