Michele "Mickey" Cooney

Michele Christine Cooney, Mickey to all who knew her, passed away peacefully at home on May 8, 2020, after an almost two-year battle with cancer. She was born on July 13, 1943, in Detroit, Mich., to Florence (Higgins) and Michael Toth. She attended Immaculata High School ('61) and the University of Detroit ('65 cum laude). While at the University of Detroit, she was asked to be the Homecoming Queen candidate for Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity. A tall, dark, and handsome young man volunteered to be her date. They were immediately smitten. William Patrick Cooney III "Bill" and Mickey married on Aug. 19, 1967. and they have been partners in everything since. Mickey moved to Rochester in 1971, when Bill was asked to join the Mayo Clinic staff as an orthopedic hand surgeon. They traveled the world as part of Bill's professional career and Mickey loved meeting people from different backgrounds and entertaining them at Orchard Acres farm if they visited Rochester. At 35, after the birth of her fifth child, Mickey was diagnosed with breast cancer and it seemed like a grim prognosis at the time. To the great fortune of her family, she survived and was able to share her optimism, candor and sense of ethics with her children as they grew up. After over 30 years in Rochester, Mickey and Bill retired to Vero Beach, Fla., after vacationing there for years through their connection with the Los Angeles Dodgers. They were also lucky enough to keep a lake house in northern Minnesota on Bay Lake, where their greatest joy was entertaining their large family with boating, swimming, fishing, baking and campfires galore. Mickey was an excellent cook and her grandchildren all enjoyed baking with her and eating her delicious meals which have been collected in a family cookbook, Cooking for a Crowd. Mickey also enjoyed crossword puzzles and sudoku and loved finding deals at jewelry auctions. In Rochester, Vero Beach and at Bay Lake, they were so fortunate to have loving, fun friends with whom they shared countless good times. Mickey is survived by Bill, her husband of 52 years, and her family which was her pride and joy: Chris and Dr. John Mansour of Dallas, Texas (Kelly, Will and Erin), Kate and Chris Burke of New York City (Brennan, Maggie, Kenzie and Patrick), Drs. Bill and Romi Cooney of Denver (Connor, Rylan & Ashtyn), Mike and Colleen Cooney of Chicago (Dylan, Owen, Colin and Evan) and Kelly and Pete Cilella of Los Angeles (Gabe and Mara). Mickey had a special relationship with each of her 16 grandchildren and valued them for their individual personalities. She is also survived by sisters, Marge Toth Fredericks of Stuart, Fla., and Susan Toth Currier of Vero Beach, Fla., and a large extended family that includes numerous loving sisters- and brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Anne Toth Sommerfeld. Memorial services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, July 16, 2021 at Co-Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist, 11 4th Ave SW, Rochester, MN. Visitation will be held from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 15 at Co-Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist. Masks will be required at the service and visitation. Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Home is honored to be serving the Cooney family; to share a special memory or condolence please visit www.ranfranzandvinefh.com