OBITUARY FROM AMERICAN SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER: Dr. Patrick G. Feeney, a Professor of Sociology, at Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland died on December 3, 2008 at his home in Alexandria, Virginia. Patrick Feeney (known to his colleagues as Pat) was born in Washington, D.C. and grew up in Burtonsville, Maryland. Upon high school graduation, he worked as an automobile mechanic until a work related accident led him to become a student at Montgomery College. Fascinated by a course in Introduction to Sociology, Pat decided to change career paths. As a talented athlete, he was able to obtain a golf scholarship and earned his bachelors degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He did his graduate work at the University of North Carolina where he received a master’s degree in sociology in 1983 and at Temple University in Philadelphia where he earned his Ph.D. in 1991. During his life Pat taught at a number of colleges and universities which included Catholic University and several colleges in Mississippi and North Carolina. He became a tenured professor at Mount St. Mary’s College in Emmitsburg, Maryland and taught there from 1992 until 2003. In the fall of 2003 Pat returned to Montgomery College, the start of his academic journey, and joined the full time faculty in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice. During his five years at Montgomery College, Dr. Patrick Feeney was a highly popular instructor who inspired and interested students through his interactions and teaching methods. He mentored students in sociological research activities which culminated in presentations of Montgomery College students at two Southern Sociological Society Annual Meetings, and in the development of demographic research of the Washington Metropolitan Area which appeared as the fold-out on “Social Class and Life Chances, A Ride on the Washington DC Metro” in James Henslin’s latest text Sociology, A Down to Earth Approach (9th edition). He responded to the college-wide initiative on service learning with successful implementation in many of his courses and enhanced his discipline and his department by his involvement in the development and teaching of a new course on Globalization Issues. Dr. Feeney also taught courses on the sociology of sport and social problems as well as the introductory sociology course. In addition to his teaching, Dr. Patrick Feeney served as the secretary for the Montgomery College chapter of the American Association of University Professors. On a personal level, Pat was an involved father, serving as a coach for his daughter’s basketball and soccer teams. He was passionate about social injustice and was involved in a number of political campaigns. He was a skilled musician and an avid motorcycle fan. He was known for his sense of humor and his famous “one-liners”. He will be missed by his colleagues and his students who recently honored him with letters written to his daughter. Pat Feeney is survived by his daughter, Emma Marie Feeney of Alexandria, Virginia, his former wife, Kathleen Kelly of Alexandria, Virginia and Cheryl Wagner, his good friend from Washington, D.C.
Cheryl Wagner