Lloyd Cooney

Lloyd E. Cooney, 90, of Yarrow Point, WA passed away, Monday, November 25th, 19 days after the passing of his wife, Betty. Lloyd was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa to Vera Marie Williams and Cecil Everett Cooney. He graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School. Lloyd served as a Tec 5 specialist with the 517 Airborne Signal Co. of the 17th and 82nd Airborne Divisions in World War II. He received three major battle stars including the Battle of the Bulge. He earned his B.S. degree in Political Science and did post-graduate work in Banking and Finance at the University of Utah. He married Betty Louise Packard of Magna, Utah on March 4, 1946. Mr. Cooney had a distinguished history in broadcasting, editorializing and public service. He was VP/General Manager of KSL-TV in Salt Lake City, before coming to Seattle as President/General Manager of KIRO, Inc. (KIRO-TV, KIRO Newsradio, and KSEA-FM) from 1963 to 1982. He served on the CBS Television Affiliates and CBS Radio Affiliates Advisory Boards, as Chair of the CBS Affiliates Promotion Committee, and on the board of the Washington State Association of Broadcasters. Cooney left KIRO to run for the U.S. Senate seat of Warren Magnuson in 1982 and the seat of Henry Jackson in 1983. His positions on issues were plain, principled and conservative. Following the campaigns, he entered into consultancies with the Seattle Supersonics, the Seattle Mariners, Group W Cable, Ackerley Communications, Weatherly Private Capital, Bonneville International, Medina Broadcast Group, and Prime Sports NW.Lloyd served in many community leadership roles, including Chairman of Seattle-King County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Public Relations Committee of United Way of King County, the Seattle Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, and as Mayor of the town of Yarrow Point. He also served on the boards of the Salvation Army, Downtown Seattle Development Association, American Heart Association, Broadmoor Golf & Country Club, Washington Athletic Club, and Rainier Club. Lloyd's efforts contributed to raising both awareness and many donations through the Variety Club telethons. He enjoyed serving Thanksgiving meals at the Union Gospel Mission and ringing the bell for the Salvation Army at Christmas. He joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the age of fifty, and served in various callings including Bishop of the Bellevue First Ward and Young Single Adults Ward. Lloyd is remembered as one who loved life. His adventures included rides covering 45,000 miles on his Harley -Davidson across Mexico, Australia, the Badlands and Canada. At 80 he sold his motorcycle, and enjoyed time at his home, as well as at his lake cabin with family, friends and neighbors. He enjoyed tending to his gardens and roses, and relished the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. So many of the family members he enjoyed, the people he worked with, the friends he rode with and those he mentored, all loved him, as he loved them. All will remember how he loved his wife, Betty, of 67 years. Lloyd was preceded in death by his wife, Betty, and brother, Cecil 'Pep' Cooney. He is survived by sister, Suzi Breedlove, and brother, Ronald 'Skip' Cooney; children, Shauna Brenner, Kevin Cooney and Kim Cooney; grandchildren Kevin Brenner, Kimberly Nykamp, Steven Brenner, Elisa Seely, Cecily Mortensen, Megan Curtis, Caitlin Mack, Kelly Smith, Mallory King, Riley Cooney and Sean Cooney; Michael Cooney, Rachel Hoerman, Callen Lewis, and Case Cooney; and twenty-two great-grandchildren. Viewing from 4:00 to 7:00pm, Thursday, December 5 at Sunset Hills Funeral Home, 1215 145th Place, Bellevue, WA 98007 (425-746-1400). Funeral services will be held 11:00 am, Friday, December 6th at the Bellevue Stake Center of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 14536 Main Street, Bellevue, WA 98006.