Jim Coogan, a wonderful musician and father of Mary Coogan of Chersish The Ladies has just passed away.
Jim battled leukemia for a long time, and put up a good fight. We were blessed to have him and Mary host our session at IAANJ in July of this year, and we had a wonderful time. He will be missed by many.
I remember Jim as a very active member of the Irtrad-l mailing list where he gladly shared his wisdom, experience and bountiful knowledge. He will be greatly missed, even by those (like myself) who never had the chance to meet him in person.
I didn't know Jim well at all. I knew him a bit in the "old days" around NY when Mary and Joanie were kids in their teens and their Dads would bring them out to play or see a show at the Eagle Tavern or Tom O'Reilly's or somehwere, can't really remember. I was barely much older, but it seemed a big difference back then. It was mid 70's, to early 80's.
When we had him and Mary at our session, it was thankfully recorded, and it is a special memory now to many of us. I remember him that night in July, he was very weak from chemo or radiation the day before, yet carried on and played cheerfully. He took a good few breaks, and we didn't really expect him to play as much as he did, but you could tell he was so happy to be playing there with Mary. He told some nice stories we saved for the CD also. he was so proud of Mary too, just beaming at her!
What a shock, and what sad news. Iris, thanks for posting this.
Jim was the organizer of the very first session I ever got involved with when I got back into the playing. He was so welcoming and encouraging, I've really got to give him a bunch of credit for where I am today in my playing. I"m so happy that I got to see him perform last year in Chester with Cherish the Ladies. Now it's even a more special memory...
What a shock to hear of his passing. I only met him once, but his album with Mary and transcriptions of his playing were some of my earliest introductions to the music.
Here are the arrangements for Jim Coogan, the father of Mary Coogan of Cherish the Ladies and box player in his own right.
Visitation will be held from 6-8 on Monday, November 27 and from 2-4 and 6-8 pm on Tuesday, November 28 at Brooks Funeral Home, 481 Gidney Ave. Newburgh. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 am on Wednesday, November 29 at Sacred Heart Church, Newburgh. Burial will follow in St. Francis Cemetery, New Windsor.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in memory of Jim may be made to Castle Point VA Hospital, Castle Point, NY 12511
To send a personal condolence or for directions to the funeral home, please visit
Brooks Funeral Home or call 845-561-8300.
or to drop a personal note to Mary you can send it to
1 David Lane
Yonkers, NY 10701-1116
i had the great good luck to spend a day that turned into a long night, with jim coogan and john nolan a couple of years ago when visiting the east coast.....it started with jim fetching me at the yonkers train station and transporting me to john nolan's home to try out the boxeen accordion. this morphed into, tea, gossip, accordion-sampling, a music lesson with mr. nolan, followed by the two irrepressibles taking me to white plains for the wednesday night session, at the close of which they put me on the train back to manhattan. jim was a gentleman, and a scamp, in a million. i was told in the catskills this last july that he was under the weather, and have been wondering how he was faring.
Jim Coogan passed away
Jim Coogan passed away
Jim Coogan, a wonderful musician and father of Mary Coogan of Chersish The Ladies has just passed away.
Jim battled leukemia for a long time, and put up a good fight. We were blessed to have him and Mary host our session at IAANJ in July of this year, and we had a wonderful time. He will be missed by many.
# Posted on November 25th 2006 by irisnevins
Re: Jim Coogan passed away
I'm sorry to hear this, but thanks, Iris, for posting the news so we can send condolences to Mary.
# Posted on November 25th 2006 by Will Harmon
Re: Jim Coogan passed away
I remember Jim as a very active member of the Irtrad-l mailing list where he gladly shared his wisdom, experience and bountiful knowledge. He will be greatly missed, even by those (like myself) who never had the chance to meet him in person.
# Posted on November 25th 2006 by Jeremy
Re: Jim Coogan passed away
I didn't know Jim well at all. I knew him a bit in the "old days" around NY when Mary and Joanie were kids in their teens and their Dads would bring them out to play or see a show at the Eagle Tavern or Tom O'Reilly's or somehwere, can't really remember. I was barely much older, but it seemed a big difference back then. It was mid 70's, to early 80's.
When we had him and Mary at our session, it was thankfully recorded, and it is a special memory now to many of us. I remember him that night in July, he was very weak from chemo or radiation the day before, yet carried on and played cheerfully. He took a good few breaks, and we didn't really expect him to play as much as he did, but you could tell he was so happy to be playing there with Mary. He told some nice stories we saved for the CD also. he was so proud of Mary too, just beaming at her!
# Posted on November 25th 2006 by irisnevins
Re: Jim Coogan passed away
What a shock, and what sad news. Iris, thanks for posting this.
Jim was the organizer of the very first session I ever got involved with when I got back into the playing. He was so welcoming and encouraging, I've really got to give him a bunch of credit for where I am today in my playing. I"m so happy that I got to see him perform last year in Chester with Cherish the Ladies. Now it's even a more special memory...
Colleen
# Posted on November 25th 2006 by irishfiddler32
Re: Jim Coogan passed away
What a shock to hear of his passing. I only met him once, but his album with Mary and transcriptions of his playing were some of my earliest introductions to the music.
# Posted on November 25th 2006 by mcswiss
Re: Jim Coogan passed away
Here are the arrangements for Jim Coogan, the father of Mary Coogan of Cherish the Ladies and box player in his own right.
Visitation will be held from 6-8 on Monday, November 27 and from 2-4 and 6-8 pm on Tuesday, November 28 at Brooks Funeral Home, 481 Gidney Ave. Newburgh. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 am on Wednesday, November 29 at Sacred Heart Church, Newburgh. Burial will follow in St. Francis Cemetery, New Windsor.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in memory of Jim may be made to Castle Point VA Hospital, Castle Point, NY 12511
To send a personal condolence or for directions to the funeral home, please visit
Brooks Funeral Home or call 845-561-8300.
or to drop a personal note to Mary you can send it to
1 David Lane
Yonkers, NY 10701-1116
Joanie Madden
www.cherishtheladies.com
# Posted on November 26th 2006 by clareman
Re: Jim Coogan passed away
I only met him once, but he was a fine man and will be missed by a lot of people.
# Posted on November 26th 2006 by AlBrown
Re: Jim Coogan passed away
Will be missed, a grand box player and a gentleman.
RIP
# Posted on November 26th 2006 by Schlongbow
Re: Jim Coogan passed away
i had the great good luck to spend a day that turned into a long night, with jim coogan and john nolan a couple of years ago when visiting the east coast.....it started with jim fetching me at the yonkers train station and transporting me to john nolan's home to try out the boxeen accordion. this morphed into, tea, gossip, accordion-sampling, a music lesson with mr. nolan, followed by the two irrepressibles taking me to white plains for the wednesday night session, at the close of which they put me on the train back to manhattan. jim was a gentleman, and a scamp, in a million. i was told in the catskills this last july that he was under the weather, and have been wondering how he was faring.
a sugar bear of sugar bears.
# Posted on November 27th 2006 by ceemonster