Evelyn Mooney

Evelyn Mooney (St. Jean), born March 31, 1935, died peacefully at home on Tuesday, September 5, 2023, after a long and courageous battle with COPD.  Evelyn is survived by her four children, James X. Mooney, Jane Ellen Nowell (Mooney), Kathleen Anne Mooney, and Mathew Edward Mooney; four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren, all of whom she adored. 

Evelyn was raised in Brooklyn, New York with her older sister, Anne St. Jean (Milligan) and older brother Peter St. Jean.  She was an avid reader throughout her life. Evelyn always credited her fourth-grade teacher with encouraging her to get her first library card which she said opened up a whole new world of possibilities for her in her life. She rose above some challenging circumstances during her childhood and went on to attend Hudson River State Hospital School of Nursing and New York University before marrying James X. Mooney, Sr. She worked as a neonatal nurse in the early years of their marriage.  Shortly after the birth of her fourth child, she moved with her family to Albuquerque, New Mexico.  She briefly returned to nursing in the late 1970s until the mid-1980s. 

After her children were grown, she explored interests in golfing, creative writing, travelling, amateur bird-watching and occasional casino trips. Evelyn could be fiercely independent, and she always did the absolute best she could for each of her kids, grandkids, and great grandkids.  She will be missed and forever held in our hearts.  As per Evelyn’s wishes, a small service will be held in her memory for her immediate family in early October.