William Lee Mulrooney

WILLIAM L. MULROONEY "BILL", 80 YEARS OLD, PASSED AWAY ON MAY 12, 2017 AFTER A LONG BATTLE WITH CANCER.

BILL WAS BORN IN AKRON ON MAY 18, 1936 TO FRANK AND ETHEL MULROONEY AND SPENT A MAJOR PORTION OF HIS LIFE IN THE EDUCATION OF THE YOUTH OF SUMMIT COUNTY. HE WAS A GRADUATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF AKRON, RECEIVING A BACHELOR AND MASTER OF ARTS IN EDUCATION. AT THE UNIVERSITY HE WAS AWARDED THE "A-KEY", "WHO'S WHO" AND WAS A CHARTER MEMBER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF AKRON CHAPTER OF PHI DELTA KAPPA, NATIONAL EDUCATION HONORARY FRATERNITY. ALSO AT THE UNIVERSITY BILL WAS A MEMBER OF THE FIRST VARSITY SOCCER TEAM AS WELL AS A MEMBER OF LAMBDA CHI ALPHA FRATERNITY.

HIS EDUCATIONAL CAREER ENCOMPASSED TEACHING IN THE COVENTRY LOCAL AND REVERE LOCAL SCHOOLS. BILL SERVED AS THE PRINCIPAL OF COVENTRY HIGH SCHOOL AND REVERE HIGH SCHOOL BUT, HIS GREATEST SATISFACTION CAME AS THE O.W.E. INSTRUCTOR AT REVERE WHERE HE HELPED GUIDE HIS STUDENTS TO USEFUL AND PRODUCTIVE LIVES. HE RETIRED FROM PUBLIC EDUCATION IN 1989 WITH 31 YEARS SERVICE. HE ALSO TAUGHT GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE CLASSES AT KENT STATE UNIVERSITY FOR 17 YEARS LEAVING THERE IN 2016.

BILL WAS A CAPTAIN IN THE USAF (STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND) AND WAS AWARDED THE AIR FORCE COMMENDATION MEDAL FOR MERITORIOUS SERVICE.

BILL EMBARKED ON A SECOND CAREER AS THE EVENT DIRECTOR AT THE RICHFIELD COLISEUM AND HELD THAT POSITION FOR 20 YEARS, LEAVING IN 1994 WHEN THE COLISEUM CLOSED. HE THEN CONTINUED HIS CAREER AS THE OPERATIONS MANAGER OF THE JOHN S. KNIGHT CONVENTION CENTER, IN AKRON, FROM 1994 TO 2000.

BILL WAS A 50+ YEAR MEMBER OF COVENTRY-AKRON LODGE #83 F. & A. M. AS WELL AS BEING A 32nd DEGREE MASON IN THE ANCIENT ACCEPTED SCOTTISH RITE, VALLEY OF AKRON FOR 50+ YEARS. HE WAS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION SECONDARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS (NASSP) AND THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF VENUE MANAGERS (IAVM). HE WAS A 50+ YEAR MEMBER OF SAINT PAUL'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

"MAY THE ROAD RISE UP TO MEET YOU,
MAY THE WIND BE ALWAYS AT YOUR BACK,
MAY THE SUN SHINE WARM UPON YOUR FACE
AND THE RAIN FALL SOFT UPON YOUR FIELDS.
AND UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN,
MAY GOD HOLD YOU IN THE PALM OF HIS HAND."

BILL IS SURVIVED BY HIS SON, AARON; DAUGHTER-IN-LAW, DESPINA; GRANDSON, AARON JR. (WHOM HE WAS EXCEPTIONALLY PROUD OF AND ADMIRED HIS OUTSTANDING CHARACTER AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS); LIGHTENING AND DUNCAN. HE WAS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HIS PARENTS; BROTHER, PAUL SIMMONS; AND LOVING WIFE OF 54 YEARS, BEVERLY.

BILL CHERISHED HIS FRIENDS, INCLUDING HIS BEST FRIEND, LARRY AND HIS WIFE, LINDA, DAN, GOLDIE, BILL, GEORGE, CLAUDIA, SUE AND CHARLIE; ALL HIS GOLFING BUDDIES AND HIS FRIENDS FROM THE COLISEUM AND KENT STATE. HIS FAMILY WAS HIS LIFE AND PROVIDED HIM WITH PRIDE AND LOVE. HE WAS ALWAYS QUICK TO JOKE AND HAVE A GOOD LAUGH, MANY TIMES AT HIS OWN EXPENSE.

A MEMORIAL SERVICE WILL BE HELD 12 P.M. WEDNESDAY IN THE CHAPEL OF ST. PAUL'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH WITH REV. MARK J. PRUITT OFFICIATING. INURNMENT AT ROSE HILL BURIAL PARK.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MEMORIAL DONATION, IN BILL'S NAME, PLEASE CONSIDER ST. PAUL'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 1361 W. MARKET ST., AKRON, 44313, THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF GREATER AKRON, 7996 DARROW ROAD, TWINSBURG 44087 OR HOSPICE OF VNS, C/O AKRON GENERAL DEVELOPMENT FDTN., 1 AKRON GENERAL AVE., AKRON, 44307.