Kathleen Mooney
July 25, 1954 — December 21, 2023
Kathleen Ann Mooney (nee Cranny), 69 of Sykesville, Maryland passed away suddenly on Thursday, December 21, 2023 at her home. She was born July 25, 1954, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota the daughter of the late Patrick Cranny and the late Mary Jean Cranny (nee Kauth).
Kathy is survived by her three children Sarah Brown, Michael Mooney and Katie Mooney; her grandchildren Alexis Mooney, Skylar Mooney, Riley Mooney, James Brown, and Elizabeth Brown; and siblings Joan Hulsebusch, Michael Cranny, Mary Ellen Cranny Paul, and Tim Cranny. Kathleen was predeceased by her parents and brother Joe Cranny.
Kathy was the third of six children and grew up in Sioux Falls then Canton, South Dakota. Kathleen was quiet, calm, and smart. At home she enjoyed winning at card games and looking after younger brothers Tim and Joe. In school she made good grades and enjoyed being on the Varsity Track team at Canton High School. She had good friends in high school and then at Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota where she was a math major.
Kathy moved with her family to Tempe, Arizona in 1974. She went to work at Motorola in Scottsdale and then was recruited to work for Searle Pharmaceuticals where she would meet her future husband Raymond Mooney. She and Ray were married in Phoenix in 1977 and not long after moved with Searle to Waukegan, Illinois where her children were born. Kathy and her family then moved to Pensacola, Florida where she lived until her children moved away for college. While in Pensacola Kathy worked and was a longtime parishioner at St. Paul’s Catholic Church.
Kathy was always meant to be a mom. She may have only had three children but she was a mother figure to countless others. She had endless patience with, support for, and pride in her children no matter their stage in life. Kathleen was a constant cheerleader and volunteer for all of her children’s never ending activities - school carnivals, CCD classes, and soccer games to name a few.
Her grandchildren were her pride and joy. She couldn’t have a conversation without talking about them to strangers and family alike - frequently telling people being a mom is amazing but being a grandma is the best job in the world with a giant smile radiating on her face. Kathleen had unlimited hugs and stories to share with her grandchildren.
Family - not only children and grandchildren - was the most important part of Kathy’s life. Catching up with someone on a long phone call or visit always brought joy to Kathleen. The walls of her bedroom are full of family pictures as continual reminders of those Kathy held dear in her heart.
Kathy loved her family fiercely, but the joy she got when beating them in a game of cards, rummikub, words with friends, or any other game didn’t end at childhood and only grew with time. Her competitive streak came out most when she would sit down with her siblings and play a game of pinochle littered with table talk.
The simple things in life made Kathy the happiest. A cup of coffee or a glass of iced tea was never far from her side. She could never turn down chocolate or red velvet. And if she wasn’t with one of her grandkids she was probably reading a book, it didn’t even need to be a good book. Sitting by a beach listening to the waves was one of her favorite ways to pass the day.
Kathy didn’t embrace technology. She never figured out speaker phone and reported the ‘internet is broken’ numerous times but was sure to know how to FaceTime grandkids and send pictures she took of them to everyone she knew, even if they were a little blurry.
Kathy left this world unexpectedly, but she still lives on in all the people she loved.
A celebration of life will be held this spring in Arizona and at a later time in South Dakota. Details will be shared with friends and family once available.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be sent to the American Heart Association.
“Those we love don’t go away/ They walk beside us every day, unseen, unheard, but always near/ Still loved, still missed, and very dear.”
Kathy is survived by her three children Sarah Brown, Michael Mooney and Katie Mooney; her grandchildren Alexis Mooney, Skylar Mooney, Riley Mooney, James Brown, and Elizabeth Brown; and siblings Joan Hulsebusch, Michael Cranny, Mary Ellen Cranny Paul, and Tim Cranny. Kathleen was predeceased by her parents and brother Joe Cranny.
Kathy was the third of six children and grew up in Sioux Falls then Canton, South Dakota. Kathleen was quiet, calm, and smart. At home she enjoyed winning at card games and looking after younger brothers Tim and Joe. In school she made good grades and enjoyed being on the Varsity Track team at Canton High School. She had good friends in high school and then at Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota where she was a math major.
Kathy moved with her family to Tempe, Arizona in 1974. She went to work at Motorola in Scottsdale and then was recruited to work for Searle Pharmaceuticals where she would meet her future husband Raymond Mooney. She and Ray were married in Phoenix in 1977 and not long after moved with Searle to Waukegan, Illinois where her children were born. Kathy and her family then moved to Pensacola, Florida where she lived until her children moved away for college. While in Pensacola Kathy worked and was a longtime parishioner at St. Paul’s Catholic Church.
Kathy was always meant to be a mom. She may have only had three children but she was a mother figure to countless others. She had endless patience with, support for, and pride in her children no matter their stage in life. Kathleen was a constant cheerleader and volunteer for all of her children’s never ending activities - school carnivals, CCD classes, and soccer games to name a few.
Her grandchildren were her pride and joy. She couldn’t have a conversation without talking about them to strangers and family alike - frequently telling people being a mom is amazing but being a grandma is the best job in the world with a giant smile radiating on her face. Kathleen had unlimited hugs and stories to share with her grandchildren.
Family - not only children and grandchildren - was the most important part of Kathy’s life. Catching up with someone on a long phone call or visit always brought joy to Kathleen. The walls of her bedroom are full of family pictures as continual reminders of those Kathy held dear in her heart.
Kathy loved her family fiercely, but the joy she got when beating them in a game of cards, rummikub, words with friends, or any other game didn’t end at childhood and only grew with time. Her competitive streak came out most when she would sit down with her siblings and play a game of pinochle littered with table talk.
The simple things in life made Kathy the happiest. A cup of coffee or a glass of iced tea was never far from her side. She could never turn down chocolate or red velvet. And if she wasn’t with one of her grandkids she was probably reading a book, it didn’t even need to be a good book. Sitting by a beach listening to the waves was one of her favorite ways to pass the day.
Kathy didn’t embrace technology. She never figured out speaker phone and reported the ‘internet is broken’ numerous times but was sure to know how to FaceTime grandkids and send pictures she took of them to everyone she knew, even if they were a little blurry.
Kathy left this world unexpectedly, but she still lives on in all the people she loved.
A celebration of life will be held this spring in Arizona and at a later time in South Dakota. Details will be shared with friends and family once available.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be sent to the American Heart Association.
“Those we love don’t go away/ They walk beside us every day, unseen, unheard, but always near/ Still loved, still missed, and very dear.”
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