Date of death: 5/11/2026
Saint Meinrad Class: O 1965
John Francis Cooney passed away on May 11, 2026, at the age of 86. He was a man of deep faith, who cherished his family, and believed in being and developing servant-hearted leaders.
John’s faith in Jesus Christ was formed in his childhood by his mother and father, cultivated during his high school years at Saint Meinrad Seminary, and influenced later in life by his pastors Chris Hemund and Bob Roberts, Jr. He was devoted to Jesus, believed in the power of prayer and enjoyed studying the Bible. He took seriously scripture’s command to “love your neighbor as yourself” by serving in Kairos prison ministry and forming lasting friendships with brothers in Christ through his Emmaus men’s group and Bible Study Fellowship.
John married the love of his life, Brenda, in 1985 and cherished each day of their 41 years together. They enjoyed traveling as far away as Vietnam or as close to home as Branson, but Hawaii was their favorite destination. Brenda was one of the most important spiritual influences on John, increasing his love for the word of God, and encouraging his involvement in prison ministry. He was a gentle father that always knew when the situation called for encouragement, love, advice, or just a good laugh. He was very proud of his eleven grandchildren, always ready to brag to the closest listener about their most recent accomplishments. As one of twelve children himself, John remained close with his siblings his entire life. He would be the one to tell a story or get the biggest laugh at Cooney family gatherings, compete for bragging rights at the brothers’ golf tournament, but also made time for more intimate moments of prayer with his brothers and sisters as they navigated uncertain times in their lives.
John spent 34 years at Xerox Corporation, rising to the executive ranks, and held multiple vice president positions within the organization. He was known as a problem-solver and reliable leader in every area of the company he led. He built a leadership culture that focused on caring for individuals, teams, and the organization. After retiring in 2001, John continued to mentor the next generation of business leaders as an adjunct faculty member of John Brown University and in meetings with individual entrepreneurs. His passion for servant leadership led him to serve on the leadership team, finance committee and staff-parish relations committee at Mountainside UMC and Village UMC.
John is survived by his wife Brenda; children Denise Taylor, Robert Cooney, Cyndi Eiskamp, Tracey Murillo, Jason Cooney, and Jennifer Cooney; and eleven grandchildren.