He was born on November 14, 1935 to Joseph and Marian McNerney in Buffalo, New York.
Dr. McNerney attended St. Mary’s College in California from 1953-1955 on a basketball scholarship, then served his country as an enlisted man in The United States Air Force from 1956-1960. He received his BA in mathematics in 1961 and his MA in mathematics education in 1962 from Colorado State College in Greeley. He taught high school mathematics in Lompoc, California from 1962-1964 with the summers of these years spent in San Diego, California at the United States Naval Electronics Lab on a National Science Foundation Research Scholarship. He was the Lompoc Unified School District K-12 Mathematics Coordinator during 1963-64. He attended Rutgers University on scholarship from 1964-1965 and was employed as an elementary mathematics textbook series editor/supervisor from 1965-1967.
Dr. McNerney received his Ph.D. in mathematics education from Ohio State University in 1969 at which time he moved back to Greeley and taught at The University of Northern Colorado (then Colorado State College) from 1969 until he retired in 1998. During this time he wrote or co-authored over 18 elementary mathematics books for the Scott-Foresman Publishing Co. and co-authored a pre-algebra mathematics text for Houghton-Mifflin Co. In 1974, he co-authored a professional mathematics textbook for prospective elementary/middle school teachers. He also published numerous mathematics and mathematics education papers including a chapter in the 1994 National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Yearbook. He made many professional presentations and sponsored fifteen doctoral dissertations while at UNC. He received the UNC Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Educator in 2001.
Dr. McNerney was a sports enthusiast, which included fishing, biking and attendance at athletic events. He was inducted into his New York high school Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995. He particularly enjoyed the company and kindness of his many friends from the university, his church, his condominium association, and from all walks of life. He was an active member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Greeley.
Dr. McNerney was a dual citizen of The United States of America and The Republic of Ireland with his Irish heritage stemming from County Clare in the Irish Free Republic. His cousin, Mary Casey, resides with her family in Ennis, County Clare.
Survivors are a daughter, Brenda Ann of Arlington, Texas, four sons, Timothy Scott of Denver, Terry Neil of Fort Collins, Sean Mitchell of San Jose, California and Seamus Patrick of Asheville, North Carolina. He has five grandchildren, three living in Arlington and two living in San Jose. He has one great-granddaughter in Arlington. His parents and an older brother are deceased. A brother and three sisters are living in the Buffalo, New York area.
Visitation will be from 1-2 p.m. Monday followed by service at 2:00 p.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Greeley with burial at Linn Grove Cemetery afterwards.
Dr. McNerney asked that instead of flowers, memorial contributions be made to The St. Mary’s Catholic School tuition fund for needy children in Greeley in care of Stoddard Funeral Home, 3205 West 28th Street, Greeley, Colorado 80634.
Please visit www.stoddardsunset.com to sign online guestbook.
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