William James Rooney

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Will Rooney, 71, of Cheyenne Wyoming, passed peacefully surrounded by family at UC Health Poudre Valley Hospital after a sudden and unexpected battle with cancer (although some may say it was “broken heart syndrome” after the loss of his beloved wife Jenny not even two months prior). William James Rooney was born to Thomas and Ruth Rooney on September 3, 1953, in Jackson Michigan. Will graduated from Parkside High School and Jackson Community College. In 1980, he met his best friend and the love of his life, Jennifer Lynn Jablonowski. Jenny and Will were married for forty-four years. Will retired from the United States Postal Service, and truly loved being a mailman. Even in retirement, going to get the mail was a highlight of the day. Will valued family and friendships above all else. Will would tell anyone who would listen how he was the luckiest man in the world to be married to Jenny, and that his children Tom, Megan, and Sean were his greatest accomplishment. He often emphasized that he loved his children equally, although a favorite joke was that Megan was his favorite daughter (“she didn’t have a lot of competition”). Will and Jenny decided to move across the country to Cheyenne, Wyoming to be closer to their grandchildren and to be a part of their daily lives. Nothing brought Will more joy than spending time with his grandchildren and watching their activities. Will’s best friends Lou, Mick, Cal, Chip, and Eric were lifelong friends. Will enjoyed attending sporting events (especially his favorite Michigan Wolverines, Detroit Tigers, and Detroit Lions), watching sports/yelling at the TV, golfing, bowling, trips to the casino with Jenny, driving an hour to run a non-urgent errand, freebies (“if it’s free, it’s for me”), black and white western TV shows, and laughing at his own jokes. He was preceded in death by his parents and wife. He will be dearly missed by son Tom (Courtney) Rooney, daughter Megan Rooney (Todd Waters), son Sean (Sarah) Rooney, grandchildren Michael (Caitlyn) Breedlove, Trenton Rooney, Patrick Rooney, Owen Rooney, Lily Rooney, Taylor Morgan, London Morgan, and Tripp Lingelbach, and great-grandchildren Eleanor Breedlove, Eliza Breedlove, and Ozzy Breedlove. A memorial service will be held on Friday, January 10, at 10:00 am at the Wiederspahn-Radomsky Chapel. A reception will be held at The Gathering Place immediately following the service. A celebration of life in honor of Will and Jenny will be held at noon on April 19, 2025, at Grand River Brewery in Jackson, Michigan. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Animal Care League (animalcareleague.org).