Richard McCooey

Born October 14, 1930, in Brooklyn, Richard McCooey was the third of four brothers Herbert, John, and Richard’s fraternal twin Robert. Richard's mother was Elizabeth Larney born in New York to John Edward Larney and Mary Ellen Larney, and his father was Herbert, a NY attorney. Herbert died in 1936 at the age of 35, when Richard was six. His mother later remarried and the family moved from Brooklyn, New York to Bronxville, New York. Richard's grandfather was John H McCooey an American politician most notable for his involvement as a political boss in the Democratic Party political machine of Brooklyn. Boss McCooey served as chair of the Kings County Democratic Party from 1910 until his death in 1934; significant to Al Smith and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Richard attended Brooklyn Prep and then Iona Prep. Richard graduated from Georgetown University with a Bachelor of Social Sciences (BSS) in both History and Government in 1952. His senior year at Georgetown, Richard was elected “President of the Yard,” the precursor to the Georgetown University Student Association, the current student government body on campus, and participated in the Army ROTC program. Richard married Karen Marie Magnier McCooey in 1990 at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, their parish, located one block from the 1789, Tombs and Georgetown University on 36th Street. Their reception was held at 1789 Restaurant. == Professional career ==

After graduation, Richard enlisted and was offered position in enlisted officer training school for the United States Air Force as a second lieutenant for 2 years, serving as Club Officer. After his service, McCooey worked at Benton & Bowles, an advertising agency in New York, NY. In the early 1960s, Richard returned to Washington, D.C. at the invitation of the Rev. Edward B. Bunn, the president of Georgetown University from 1952 to 1964. Father Bunn finally agreed to Richard's vision of opening a restaurant and a student rathskeller near the main campus; a dream Richard had since his freshman year at Georgetown. Richard named The Tombs after a poem from T.S. Eliot's "''Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats''” in “Bustopher Jones, The Cat About Town” enjoys lunch at the tomb. During his service in the Air Force, Richard’s nickname was “Bustopher Cat.” In 1964, Richard established the tradition of the “Chimes Nights” for the Georgetown Chimes, inspired by the Whiffenpoofs’ weekly performances at Yale local establishment Morey’s. Richard purchased two adjacent properties in the mid 1960s and opened a laundry and market. He re-envisioned the spaces and in 1975 opened F. Scott’s, a nightclub with art-deco design and ambiance, named for novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald. F, Over the next 20 years, Richard and Karen's Persona Studios developed a long list of design clients all across the country with some outside the US such as The Polo Club dining room at the Moscow Marriott Royal Aurora Hotel. == Awards ==

In San Francisco 1966, Richard was the recipient of the Georgetown University John Carroll Award,. named after Archbishop John Carroll, the first Catholic bishop in North America and founder of Georgetown University and the University's highest alumni honor. Established in 1951, the John Carroll Award is conferred upon alumni whose achievements and record of service exemplify the ideals and traditions of Georgetown and its founder. McCooey was a longtime Georgetown volunteer, and previously served on the Board of Governors of the Georgetown University Alumni Association. In a surprise dinner in 2012 held on the 50th anniversary of the restaurants' opening, he added: "I am so appreciative. I did all I wanted to do. As a freshman, walking along this street, I had that dream. I kept the dream." == Legacy ==

Richard died on August 6, 2014, in Greenwich, Connecticut at the age of 83 with Karen his wife of 24 years by his side. Richard lived his entire adult life in Georgetown, a community and a university for whom he worked his entire life. Karen held his funeral Mass at their parish, Holy Trinity Church in Georgetown. The Chimes, nearly all their alums and actives, sang and were an integral part of the liturgy. Richard loved the sport of rowing and the GU rowers. He attended rowing regattas to spur on Georgetown University's teams and supported them over the years. It was in 1962 when he first opened the doors to the Tombs that Richard met the burgeoning Georgetown University Rowing Team. A new and faithful fellowship was forged. If Richard could be out on a launch to watch a race, he would be in heaven. $18,000 for a new launch was raised. It was christened the "Richard McCooey" in the Spring of 2015. Richard's design legacy lives on through Karen who resides in Washington DC and works in Georgetown at her firm, Karen McCooey Design, designing restaurants and homes, and working on non-profit efforts in Richard's name. == References ==