OBITUARY – Rev. Thomas P. Tunney, C.S.Sp.

Date of Birth:              December 12, 1934
Date of Profession:      August 22, 1955
Date of Ordination:     September 21, 1960
Date of Death:            October 14, 2020

Fr. Thomas P. Tunney, C.S.Sp. of Bethel Park, a member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, died peacefully October 14, 2020 at Manor Care in Whitehall, PA.  He was 85 years old.

Fr. Tunney was born December 12, 1934 in Ambridge, PA.  He professed his vows as a member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit on August 22, 1955 at Holy Ghost Novitiate in Ridgefield, CT and was ordained to the Priesthood September 21, 1960 at St. Mary’s Seminary, Ferndale in Norwalk, CT.
 
Fr. Tunney was first appointed to East Africa in the District of Kilimanjaro in 1961 and ministered there and in succeeding years in the Catholic Missions of Liliondo, Simanjiro and Monduli Juu and the Diocesan Junior Seminary in Arusha.  During his time in Africa he also served as Superior of the East African Foundation (which later became the East African Province) and Rector of the Usa River Seminary. In the early 1980s while back in the United States, he worked as the Director of Mission Affairs at the Provincialate. In 1990, he was asked to be rector of the Theology House in Nairobi, Kenya.

Upon returning to the States in 1996, after a brief sabbatical, he became director of the Spiritan Foundation in Wheaton, Maryland.  In 1999, he was appointed pastor of St. Mark the Evangelist in Harlem, NY where he served for 10 years.  He was then assigned as parochial vicar to Our Lady Queen of Peace in Arlington, VA. He was much loved by his parishioners at both parishes.  He obtained retirement status in 2015 and was in residence at OLQP until 2018 when he joined the retirement community at Libermann Hall in Bethel Park. 

Fr. Tunney was preceded in death by his parents William and Marcella O’Donnell Tunney and his brothers John and William Tunney, Jr. and sister Mary Betz.  He is survived by nieces Dianna Tunney of Birmingham AL, Mary Kay Betz of Clarence NY, Marcella Parsons of Havre De Grace MD, Susan Lankes of Clarence NY, Leslie Sacchettini of Chesterfield, MO and nephew William Tunney of Pittsburgh and many extended family members.

Due to COVID restrictions, funeral arrangements will be limited to close family. For those not able to attend, the Funeral Mass will be live-streamed on the U.S. Spiritans Facebook page on Thursday, October 22 at 10:30am. Burial will take place in the family plot at Sewickley Cemetery in Sewickley, PA.

In memory of Fr. Tunney donations may be made to the Congregation of the Holy Spirit designated for retirement or for the education of future Holy Spirit Fathers and Brothers, 6230 Brush Run Road, Bethel Park, PA 15102.