- Date Of Death: January 30, 2022
- State: Illinois
Anthony Geraghty (Tony) passed into eternal life on January 30th, 2022. He was born in May 1934 in the village of Stonefield in County Mayo, Ireland, on the coast of the North Atlantic. He was the first child of Patrick and Kate Geraghty (nee Monaghan). Tony spoke Irish as a child and would recall that he heard English for the first time when he went to school at the age of five. As a teenager, his father passed away, so he left school to find work in England and help support his mother and younger sisters.
Upon returning to Ireland, he and his family decided to accept an offer by the Irish government to relocate to the south of Ireland as part of a movement to restore the Gaelic language. They took on a small farm in a place called Carrigeen in County Kildare which later became known as “Mayo Lane” in the area. It was there that Tony met his future wife of nearly 60 years, Elizabeth Philomena (Phil) Geraghty (née Byrne). He loved to tell the story of when he first saw this “fetching young redhead” while he was helping her father bale hay and she was running behind the tractor to help.
Their courtship began as she was preparing a move to England to study nursing. Once there, they were known for the love letters they exchanged, some of which were read by Tony’s younger sisters. They married in 1962. After his sisters moved to Chicago, and with the encouragement of his mother, he and Phil decided to leave Ireland for America. They arrived in Chicago in 1966, with daughters Angela and Cathriona in tow, and another daughter, Elizabeth, on the way. He quickly found work in construction, working on tall high rises and in deep tunnels while Elizabeth (Phil) began a long nursing career. They were blessed with 2 more daughters, Patricia and Antoinette, in later years.
Besides family, his greatest passion in life was Irish music. Tony had no formal instruction in written music, but could play almost any song he heard, as he had learned to play in the oral tradition as a young man. After retirement, he was known for the music sessions he attended on Sunday afternoons in pubs around Chicago. While he was able to play many instruments, his favorite was his prized button accordion which he carried to almost every party or celebration he attended. He also loved to sing, especially in Irish.
Tony loved the city of Chicago but always retained his Mayo accent and his Irish ways. He would cheer on the Bears and Cubs but refused to eat pizza for dinner as he thought it was meant as a snack and where were the potatoes? He became an American citizen in 1982, and followed politics closely. He was a long-time member of Queen of Angels and St.
Tony is survived by his wife of nearly 60 years Elizabeth (Phil), his sisters Sally and Peggy, and his 5 daughters. He is also grandfather to 14 (Sarah, Liam, Ciaran, Jules, Declan, Brennan, Grace, Ned, Laine, Clara, Elizabeth, Colman, Ian and Quinn) and great grandfather to Cormac. He happily dropped off/ picked up many grandchildren from schools near and far and was always at the ready for anyone with a home repair question. He was also greatly loved by all his sons-in-law: Tom, Paul, Webster, Barry & Matt.
He will be deeply missed by friends and family including all the Cunningham and Pratt nieces and nephews, who loved Uncle Tony dearly, as well as the Ennis, King, Harkin, Schooley, and Wawrzyn families. Together with many life-long friends, his family was a source of great joy and support through the years.
His love for life, his stories, and music will be forever in our hearts. Rest in peace, dear Tony.
