Obituary of Gerald F. Conaty

Gerald (Gerry) Francis Conaty, 93, of Endwell and formerly of Vestal, was reunited with his beloved wife, Elizabeth Anne Lynch Conaty, on July 24, 2023. Gerry is survived by his daughters, Kathleen Louise Conaty Abigail, of Endicott; Laura Anne Conaty, of Endwell; and Karen Elizabeth Conaty, of Endwell; grandchildren Meghan Abigail (Abdelali Maslouh), of Dallas; Matthew "Mattman" Abigail, of Austin; and Nathaniel "Nate" Conaty Brown, of Endwell. He is also survived by his very cherished siblings: sister, Eleanor Conaty Barnard, of Meriden, CT; brother, James "Seamus" Conaty, of Fort Myers, FL; sister-in-law, Mildred (Mid) Conaty, of Murrells Inlet, SC; cousin, Mickey Coffey, of Vero Beach, FL, and a multitude of nieces, nephews, grand & great-grand-nieces & nephews. Gerry was born on November 20, 1929, in Meriden, CT, and lived in CT until enlisting in the US Army during the Korean War. While in the Army, he traveled to Japan and trained on IBM sorting machines and first-generation computers. He graduated from UConn, and later from Syracuse University, with a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering. Gerry moved to the Vestal, NY area when he began his career with IBM-Owego in the LAMPS Program. It was in Vestal that he met his beloved, Elizabeth, and they were married in 1957. Gerry was very active in a number of hobbies and avocations during his IBM career, and he was able to fully enjoy them upon his retirement in 1984. In addition to being a President of the Parish Council, Eucharistic Minister, Lector, and Religious Education Teacher at St. Vincent de Paul Church, he mastered woodworking, stained glass, sketching, calligraphy, photography, and other artistic forms. Many pieces of his hand-made furniture are still used and cherished by his family to this day. He won awards for his photography, and several of his artworks have been displayed over the years, such as stained glass & woodwork at his church, and the ship's wheel at the Blue Dolphin Diner in Apalachin, NY. He served on the board of the American Civic Association and the American Legion in Vestal, and was a member of an early computer club. Gerry spent many years studying as a genealogist, and embraced the Irish heritage of the Conaty, Coffey, and Devlin families. He was also a skilled Irish dancer and a teacher of Gaelic at Broome Community College many years ago. He and his brother, Jim, enjoyed a trip together to Ireland that he remembered fondly. Additionally, Gerry was an avid bowler and golfer, an archery instructor, and a coach for his daughters' Cinderella Softball teams. His name is among the records for Top Golfing Accomplishment for his Hole-In-One with IBM. He and his daughter, Karen golfed together in many tournaments over the years. 'Tis Himself, as Gerry referred to himself, never allowed the grass to grow under his feet. Gerry is preceded in death by his wife, Elizabeth; his parents, Walter J. and Florence (Coffey) Conaty; brother, Walter Conaty & wife Nancy; brother, Robert Conaty; sister, Mary Conaty Sarrazin & husband Lionel (Lee); brother-in-law, Robert Barnard; sister-in-law, Bonnie Conaty; father-in-law & mother-in-law, John Francis Lynch & Irene LaDue Lynch; brother-in-law, Frank Lynch & wife Blanca; brother-in-law, John Lynch; and sister-in-law, Mary Lynch. There are so many people we'd like to thank for all their caring support of Gerry; including, but not limited to: Lourdes Palliative Care, namely Elizabeth Hull, NP, who was there for Gerry for well over a year; and Lourdes Hospice—Betsy, Hannah, Rebecca, Lauren, Alyssa, Theresa, and also Joanna Patchett. Your kindness will not be forgotten. Most importantly, many thanks must be extended to Gerry's youngest daughter, Karen, for retiring early in order to move back home to be his full-time caregiver for more than 4 years. It was because of her unwavering love and 24/7/365 care, that he was able to stay at home until his passing. She is the epitome of a devoted daughter, and the family is so incredibly blessed and appreciative that she was there for him. Thank you for reminding us that "Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things." There will be a private family funeral service with all arrangements being handled by J.A. McCormack Sons Funeral Home, Binghamton, NY. Burial will be in Vestal Hills Memorial Park. Expressions of sympathy may be made in memory of Gerald, to the Alzheimer's Association, in order to help lead the way to an end of Alzheimer's Disease and all other forms of Dementia.