Olive (Myers) Cooney

Olive N. (Myers) Cooney, 94, of Jersey Shore was called home by her heavenly Father on Sunday May 23, 2021.

She was born on January 11, 1927 in Jersey Shore, PA, the daughter of the late John H. and Elizabeth (Bailey) Myers. Growing up Olive developed a love for race horses quite early on as her father owned horses and they would travel the harness racing circuit at the local fairs throughout the summers of the 1930’s.

In 1944 Olive graduated from Jersey Shore High School and started her career at the Grit Newspaper in Williamsport where she worked from 1945-1957. In addition to being a successful career woman, Olive went on to marry Robert F. Cooney on October 14, 1949 and have two daughters Lizabeth and Christina. She was not only a loving mother to both of her daughters, but a wonderful role model as well.

Olive not only loved her family, but her hometown of Jersey Shore. Her contributions, over the years, to Jersey Shore became almost too many to count. In 1963, she not only founded, but became the first president of the Jersey Shore Town Meeting. Olive was also a founding member/president of the Jersey Shore Historical Society and extremely instrumental in founding the Jersey Shore Garden Club.

In 1965 Olive moved to Freeport, Ill. where she lived with her family until 1969. While there she worked in the public relations office of Freeport Community College, formerly known as Highland Community College.

Upon moving back to Jersey Shore in 1969, Olive once again immersed herself in the community and became the acting Borough Manager from 1973-75. In 1978 she worked as the Director of the Lycoming Tourist Bureau, in Williamsport, and in the same year was named as the first female President of the Jersey Shore Chamber of Commerce. Then in 1979 Olive took another job with the Chamber of Commerce, but this time it was with the Washington, D.C. Chamber of Commerce training international tour guides and later worked from 1980-82 conducting tours and composing a tour book for the Grove City Bus Co., out of Grove City, PA.

Her initial newspaper background served her well over the years, especially when she made her final career move to Alexandria Virginia where she worked for the Washington Post from 1982 until retirement in 2008. And even in retirement Olive served as the president of The Jersey Shore Historical Society for one final year in 2016.

She is survived by two daughters, Christina Cooney of Jersey Shore and Lizabeth (Cooney) Eldridge of Fairfax Station, VA and two grandchildren, Brandon and Samantha Eldridge.

A Visitation for Olive will be held on Saturday May 29, 2021 from 10-10:30a.m.at the Jersey Shore Presbyterian Church, 235 S. Main St., Jersey Shore, PA 17740, followed directly by a Service in her honor at 10:30a.m.

The family of Olive would like to leave it up to her friends as to whether they would like to make a donation or send flowers, but request that donations be made to either  the Jersey Shore Presbyterian Church at the afore mentioned address or The Jersey Shore Historical Society at 200 S. Main St., Jersey Shore, PA, 17740 and finally, that Olive was particularly fond of “pink peonies.”

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