Obituary of Richard T. McInerney

Richard Thomas McInerney passed away peacefully on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, at 8:06 PM. His kindness, intelligence, smile, and wit enchanted all who knew him. Beyond that, his willingness to move mountains for his family and friends and show up whenever they needed advice, support, good humor, or help with celebrations created countless meaningful relationships rooted in love and trust. As a husband to Nancy, Richard was a trusted partner who often referred to his spouse as "my best friend." As a father to his four children – Patricia, John, Annemarie, and Elizabeth - he was simply heroic. They relied on him for varied levels of support and always respected his wisdom and advice. As a friend, he was beyond reproach, often becoming an extended member of their families and creating strong bonds with his friends' children. As a father-in-law to Michael, Kristin, Bill, and Boris, he was a trusted patriarch who would do anything needed to "help them lift the load." And finally, in his latest role as a grandfather to nine wonderful children - Maggie, Dylan, Connor, Eleanor, Billy, Nina, Brendan, Evelyn, and Caroline - he was a doting grandparent known for bending to their every whim and filling their time together with fun, laughter, and smiles. He truly admired all of his grandchildren and was filled with pride whenever he spoke about the unique attributes of each. Richard's professional life was fueled by curiosity and service. He attended Spring Hill College in Alabama for his Bachelor's degree and followed that with a Master's in Theology from Fordham University, a Master's in Counseling from St. John's University, and a Certificate in Psychotherapy from the Alfred Adler Institute. Throughout his career, he served as a teacher at St. Joseph's High School in Metuchen, NJ, and Bishop Reilly HS in Queens, NY, and as a guidance counselor at Mater Christi HS and Western Suffolk County BOCES, where he spent most of his career helping high school-aged kids with limited interest in traditional high school academics study and find a vocation they could dedicate themselves to in order to earn a living. He was also an Adjunct Professor at St. Joseph's University in Patchogue, NY, focused mainly on continuing education for adults, including nurses who required additional college credits to maintain their license. Richard loved all things NY sports, too many genres of music to name, spending time out and about in nature, traveling with his constant companion Nancy, and doing anything that allowed him to spend time with his four children and nine grandchildren. He is survived by the above-mentioned family members and preceded in death by his father, John McInerney, his mother, Theresa Hickey McInerney, his two brothers, John and Joseph, and his daughter, Annemarie Theresa McInerney Scully.