William J. Tierney of Bronxville, Southampton and formerly Scarsdale died of a heart attack on March 17, St. Patrick’s Day. He was 68.
He was born to the late William C. and Helen Genevieve Tierney on March 22, 1945, and was raised in Flushing.
Mr. Tierney graduated from Holy Cross High School in 1963 and Iona College in 1967. He received a master’s in business administration from George Washington University and a law degree from Fordham University. He married Barbara Kelly in 1969, and they recently celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary snorkeling in the Caribbean and transiting the Panama Canal.
In his 31-year career at Texaco Inc., Mr. Tierney held many executive positions both in the United States and internationally, including the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe. At retirement, he was vice president of global gas and power in the Harrison headquarters. His Texaco experiences enriched his family, affording the opportunity to develop many lasting friendships. He enjoyed participating in community activities including serving on the boards of the Bronxville Community Fund and Friends of the Scarsdale Library, as well as coaching T-ball in The Hague and girls’ tennis in London and Scarsdale.
After his retirement in 1999 he taught business classes at Westchester Community College and Iona College and pursued his many passions, including seascape painting, oyster farming and, most appreciated, cooking. As a competitive golfer and links course specialist, he led many tours to the British Isles and Ireland. Survivors said the icing of his retirement was the joy of his granddaughter, Genevieve, named for his mother.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by two daughters, Sarah Tierney Wisnieski and husband George of Virginia and Lauren Tierney of New York City; and a sister, Sheila Villani and her family.
A funeral service was held at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Scarsdale on March 22, his 69th birthday. A reception celebrating his life was hosted by his friends at Scarsdale Golf Club, where the St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock Open was renamed the Bill Tierney Shamrock Open.
Memorial donations may be made to the Group for the East End, www.groupfortheeastend.org, which shares his interest in marine conservation and education.
on May 5, 2014