Obituary for Gail Andrea Rooney (Brumitt)
Gail Andrea Rooney, nee Brumitt, was born November 17, 1948 in Louisville, KY. On that day, temperature ranges were 61*F to 40*F, with zero precipitation. She carried such an unusual warmth to us throughout her life.
Born to the Roman Catholic faith, her parents Arthur Brumitt and June Whelan, raised her and her four younger sisters, Angela, Valerie, Rita, and Judith. Her extended family of grandmoms, aunts and uncles, had significant nurturing roles in the children’s lives.
Gail was a good student. Her schooling came from Catholic and public institutions. Her girlhood homes were in Louisville, West End, Valley Station, Okolona.
Her first marriage to Daniel Hooper brought the special loves of her life, Cheryl and Kara. As a single mom, she juggled work, home responsibilities, and child rearing. Once, she estimated that she had lived in almost 28 homes/apartments in her life.
She completed her formal education as a graduate from Southern High School, Jefferson County Community College, Spalding University, and the University of Louisville. A born social worker, she obtained a Master’s degree in Social Work in her 49th year.
Her professional social work career began at DaySpring, Louisville, a residential community fostered by parents and friends. DaySpring’s vision is a “world where all adults with intellectual disabilities live in caring communities.” This is a mantra that she fully embraced. In 2012, she received the Heart of DaySpring Award, which was well-deserved. She retired in 2014.
In her Spalding / U of L years, she married Jim Rooney. Gail and Jim enjoyed 34 marriage years. Even her married life included social work with the inclusion of weekly Kroger Pick-up Lists since Jim would not otherwise survive.
With Jim came more special life loves, Dana (& Brian), Jamie (& Erika), and Natalie (& Terry). Enjoying children, 9 grandchildren, then, 10 great-grandchildren was their special joy. Trips to South Dakota, Montana, the Great Lakes states were their September to October vacation times.
Gail enjoyed good health; low blood pressure, low cholesterol, low blood sugar. On January 27, 2024, she experienced sudden, sharp, chest pains which radiated to her neck. In hospital, scans revealed an aorta dissection which caused blood to flow improperly away from the heart. Before bypass surgery could begin, she died.
Her life ethos may be seen in I Corinthians 13, v. 4-8.
These words are by A.J. Loewe, but I (Jim) would take them as my own:
I’ve grown accustomed to her face.
She almost makes the day begin.
I’ve grown accustomed to the tune that
She sings night and noon.
Her smiles, her frowns,
Her ups, her downs
Are second nature to me now;
Like breathing out and breathing in.
I was serenely independent and content before
We met;
Surely, I could always be that way again –
And yet
I’ve grown accustomed to her look;
Accustomed to her voice;
Accustomed to her face.
Any monetary gifts may be sent in honor of Gail Rooney to DaySpring or Highland Community Ministries, or any charity of your choice.
She loved you all.
Born to the Roman Catholic faith, her parents Arthur Brumitt and June Whelan, raised her and her four younger sisters, Angela, Valerie, Rita, and Judith. Her extended family of grandmoms, aunts and uncles, had significant nurturing roles in the children’s lives.
Gail was a good student. Her schooling came from Catholic and public institutions. Her girlhood homes were in Louisville, West End, Valley Station, Okolona.
Her first marriage to Daniel Hooper brought the special loves of her life, Cheryl and Kara. As a single mom, she juggled work, home responsibilities, and child rearing. Once, she estimated that she had lived in almost 28 homes/apartments in her life.
She completed her formal education as a graduate from Southern High School, Jefferson County Community College, Spalding University, and the University of Louisville. A born social worker, she obtained a Master’s degree in Social Work in her 49th year.
Her professional social work career began at DaySpring, Louisville, a residential community fostered by parents and friends. DaySpring’s vision is a “world where all adults with intellectual disabilities live in caring communities.” This is a mantra that she fully embraced. In 2012, she received the Heart of DaySpring Award, which was well-deserved. She retired in 2014.
In her Spalding / U of L years, she married Jim Rooney. Gail and Jim enjoyed 34 marriage years. Even her married life included social work with the inclusion of weekly Kroger Pick-up Lists since Jim would not otherwise survive.
With Jim came more special life loves, Dana (& Brian), Jamie (& Erika), and Natalie (& Terry). Enjoying children, 9 grandchildren, then, 10 great-grandchildren was their special joy. Trips to South Dakota, Montana, the Great Lakes states were their September to October vacation times.
Gail enjoyed good health; low blood pressure, low cholesterol, low blood sugar. On January 27, 2024, she experienced sudden, sharp, chest pains which radiated to her neck. In hospital, scans revealed an aorta dissection which caused blood to flow improperly away from the heart. Before bypass surgery could begin, she died.
Her life ethos may be seen in I Corinthians 13, v. 4-8.
These words are by A.J. Loewe, but I (Jim) would take them as my own:
I’ve grown accustomed to her face.
She almost makes the day begin.
I’ve grown accustomed to the tune that
She sings night and noon.
Her smiles, her frowns,
Her ups, her downs
Are second nature to me now;
Like breathing out and breathing in.
I was serenely independent and content before
We met;
Surely, I could always be that way again –
And yet
I’ve grown accustomed to her look;
Accustomed to her voice;
Accustomed to her face.
Any monetary gifts may be sent in honor of Gail Rooney to DaySpring or Highland Community Ministries, or any charity of your choice.
She loved you all.