Maurice J. Tierney

Maurice J. Tierney Maurice J. "Moe" Tierney, 84, died on Thursday, April 25, 2013, at his home at 168 Mill Creek Drive in Charlottesville, Virginia. Mr. Tierney died from Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. Mr. Tierney was born in Dedham, Massachusetts, on September 23, 1928. During the Depression, his parents moved to Columbia Road in Dorchester, a part of Boston. His parents were Dr. Maurice J. Tierney, DMD and Mary Comerford Tierney. Tierney was also predeceased by his first wife, Jessie Olszewski Tierney; his sisters, Catherine Anne Buckley of Chicago, and Mary Louise Bornhop of Orange, California. He remarried in 2001 to Bonnie Stewart of Charlottesville, Virginia. Mr. Tierney is survived by his children, Maurice J. Tierney of Emeryville, California, and his son, Maurice J. Tierney; Mark C. Tierney (Lada) and daughter, Sofia Jessica, of Prague, Czech Republic; Michael C. Tierney (Allison) and sons, Shane, Bennet, and Jeremy, of Washington, D.C.; and M. Tracy Tierney of Arlington, Virginia. Through his marriage to Bonnie, he fell in love with her children, Shannon (Scott) Enold and children, Camille and Stewart, Bonnie Rebecca (Anthony) and daughter, Emma. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews in California and Illinois, Gretchen Bornhop, Mary Louise Haupt, Rodney E. Bornhop, Rose Anna Setten, Andrew Bornhop, John Buckley, Peter Buckley, Mary Kate Schmitt, Paul Olszewski, and Scott Olszewski; plus many grand nieces and nephews. He is also survived by his first cousins, James F. Tierney MD, John Tierney, Anne Kelly, and John T. Comerford. Mr. Tierney graduated from St. Mary's High School (1946) in Northeast, Pennsylvania. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Boston College (1951) and a Master of Social Work from the Boston College Graduate School of Social Work (1955). In graduate school, Tierney was the editor of the school's professional magazine, Caritas. In 1951, Tierney joined the United States Marine Corps and served as a platoon leader of the Heavy Machine Gun Platoon of Weapons Company, Second Battalion, Fifth Marines, in Korea (1952-1953). Among his awards were the Navy/Marine Corps Combat Action Ribbon and the Korean Service Medal with two stars. He was a lifetime member of the Disabled American Veterans and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Tierney was a DAV driver in 2009 and 2010 and logged over 5000 miles in taking veterans from the Charlottesville area to the VA Hospital in Richmond for outpatient and other services. He belonged to the American Legion Post 74, where he was active as a meal server and bartender at regular monthly meetings. Tierney referred to himself as a professional gypsy, having lived and working in so many communities in his long social work career. He was Executive Director of United Ways in Fargo, North Dakota (1955-1959), Ashtabula, Ohio (1959-1963), Evanston, Illinois (1963-1968), and as Campaign Director for the United Way of Onondaga County, Syracuse, New York (1968-1976). In 1976, he made a career change and joined Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Rochester, New York, as Diocesan Director (1977-1985). In 1985, he joined the newly organized Office of Social Ministries in the Diocese as Associate Director, Catholic Charities (1985-1991). He retired in 1991, but was called back by Catholic Charities to help develop, fund, and operate a small branch of Catholic Charities in Mt. Morris, New York, (1994-1996). Tierney's great joy of working with Catholic Charities, its staff and volunteers, was seeing the organization decentralize its services throughout the Diocese to include education, service, and advocacy. Over the years, Tierney received the Fazio Award from the Council of Catholic Charities Directors, New York State Catholic Conference, the Bradley-Staub Award from Catholic Charities, and the Star of the Sea award from Camp Stella Maris in Livonia, New York. Tierney was very proud of Catholic Charities staff. In retirement, Tierney continued his service as a disaster services volunteer with the American Red Cross, Albemarle County Chapter. He served in Puerto Rico, Bandera, Texas, Houston, Texas, Joplin, Missouri, and Roanoke, Virginia. He serviced the American Red Cross for 15 years. He also served as a volunteer board member and officer of Camp Holiday Trails and was awarded the camp's George Jay Joseph Award for his service to the camp and the children benefiting from camp life. Mr. Tierney enjoyed writing doggerel, blessings, and correspondence with old friends. Moe was a member of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlottesville. On many occasions, he attended Mass at St. George's Catholic Church in Scottsville, Virginia, because of its bucolic setting and its wonderful parishioners. The Tierney/Stewart family is grateful for the care that was received from Dr. Richard Morton, Dr. John McKnight, Dr. George Verghese, the management and staff of the Martha Jefferson Wellness Center, and Moe's hospice team from Hospice of the Piedmont. In celebration of his life, memorial gifts can be made to Camp Holiday Trails, St. Thomas Aquinas Priory, or the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. Teague Funeral Home is handling the arrangements. Visitation will be held from 6 until 8 p.m. Monday, April 29, 2013, at the Teague Funeral Home. There will be a Mass of Christian Burial 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 30, 2013, at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, with Father Laurence Olszewski, Moe's brother-in-law, and Father Luke Clark officiating. Interment will follow at Monticello Memory Gardens. Friends may sign the guest register at teaguefuneralhome.com.




This obituary was originally published in the Daily Progress.