Matthew Joseph Hennessey

MATTHEW JOSEPH HENNESSEY Matthew Joseph Hennessey was born on June 6, 1916 to Matthew Joseph Hennessey and Julia Van Cott in Brooklyn, New York. He is the brother of Julia Durrence and the late William Hennessey. Matt is survived by his loving wife, Virginia Brophy Hennessey; his children Maureen Murdock and Rosemary McGlynn; son-in- law, Denis McGlynn; grandson, Brendan Murdock, granddaughters, Heather Murdock and her husband, Paul Gardner, Julianne and Cristin McGlynn; and great grandchildren, Ella and Gillian Gardner. Matt grew up in Brooklyn and was an entrepreneur even as a teenager roller skating all over the upper West Side of Manhattan delivering telegrams for Western Union. He began his art career in 1936 working with Arthur Sudler in his studio and in 1941 they started their advertising agency, Sudler and Hennessey with Matt as President. Matt served in the Army from 1943-46 and returned to the agency, which grew and flourished and eventually became the largest medical advertising agency in the United States. Sudler and Hennessey eventually merged with Young and Rubicam and continues to this day. Matt was inducted into the Medical Advertising Hall of Fame in 1998. Matt and his first wife of 55 years, Julia Dunn Hennessey, raised their two daughters in northern New Jersey and started coming to John's Island in Vero Beach, Fl. in the early 1970s. He loved the adventure of building and decorating multiple houses, boating and his garden. After Julia died in 1998, Matt met and married Virginia "Sissy" Brophy and they enjoyed 10 loving years together, traveling around the world. Matt was a creative genius who was loved by family and friends alike for his wit, generosity, love of life, singing, dancing, and indomitable spirit. The family would like to thank Drs. Richard Franco, Michaela Scott, Marc Rose, Hugh McCrystal, all of the nurses on the 4th surgical floor of Indian River for their care and the VNA Hospice House, Vero Beach . Visitation will be April 25, 2011 from 6-8 p.m. at Strunk Funeral Home, 916-17th Street, Vero Beach, Florida, 32960. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10:00 a.m., April 26, 2011 at Holy Cross Catholic Church, 500 Iris Lane, Vero Beach Florida, 32963. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that you please make donations to the Visiting Nurse and Hospice Foundation, 1110 35th Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32960, Holy Cross Catholic Church, 500 Iris Lane, Vero Beach Florida, 32963, Indian River Medical Center Foundation, 1000 36th Street, Vero Beach, FL 32960 or The American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK 73123-1718. paid obituary