George Mooney

MOONEY, GEORGE PATRICK - passed away Thursday, October 13, 2011 at age 91. He was a member of All Saints Catholic Church, Voice of the Vols from 1952 through 1967, and founder of the Vol Navy. Mooney graduated from Kent High School (WA) and Washington State University. He was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa, social fraternity; Alpha Sigma Delta, advertising fraternity; Delta Sigma Rho, debate fraternity; the National Collegiate Radio Guild, and a member of the national championship debate team. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and the Korean Conflict. In various capacities, he worked closely with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital , St. Peter's Orphanage, the Sisters of Charity, the Knights of Columbus, the Memphis Jewish Community Center, the YMCA, the American Cancer Society, and the Tennessee Boating Safety Advisory Board. He began his broadcasting career at Washington State and has been the Voice of the Arkansas Razorbacks, Memphis State Basketball, and Memphis Chicks Baseball. He followed Lindsey Nelson as the Voice of the Vols in 1952 and in 2010 he became the 11th winner of the Lindsey Nelson Broadcasting Award presented by the Knoxville Quarterback Club. On three occasions during his 16 years as the Voice of the Vols he was selected as Tennessee's Most Outstanding Broadcaster by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. He was an honorary member of the University of Tennessee Letterman's T Club. In 1962, Mooney piloted his little white runabout up the Tennessee River in order to beat game traffic. He tied it to a tree on the riverbank outside Neyland Stadium thus becoming the inspiration for the Vol Navy, one of the most unique traditions in college football. In 1958, Mooney took over at the helm of WKGN radio in Knoxville and grew it into Mooney Broadcasting Company which had stations throughout the southeast and in Puerto Rico. He served on the Affiliates Advisory Board of the Mutual Broadcasting System and on the Advisory Board of the Hamilton National Bank. He is preceded in death by his wife, Eva Jenkins Mooney; his son, Kevin Sean Mooney; and his son-in-law, Gene Hankins. He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Pat and Judy Mooney; daughters, Comrie Hankins and Deirdre Mooney; grandchildren, Christi Rice and husband Jamie Rice, Candace Warwick, Gena Hankins, Sean Mooney, Shane Mooney and wife Becca, and Erin Mooney; great grandchildren, McKenzie, Patrick, Wesley, and Christian Rice, Sydney and Cameron Warwick, Kira Mooney, and Lilli, Bijan, and Bryce Fayaz. The family will receive friends from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 18th at All Saints Catholic Church followed by a 2:30 p.m. Memorial Mass with Father Michael Woods officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Jude's Research Hospital www.stjude.org. Arrangements by Rose Mortuary Mann Heritage Chapel. Online condolences at www.rosemortuary.com

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George Mooney

January 6, 1920 - October 13, 2011