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Coneys, Ann Frierson October 11, 1928 - October 7, 2020

Ann Frierson Coneys of Crestwood (Yonkers), NY, formerly of Bronxville, NY, and formerly of Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, PA, passed away peacefully during the early hours of October 7, 2020, after a lengthy illness, during which she had lived at the Andrus-On-Hudson Skilled Nursing Facility in Hastings-on-Hud­son, NY (http://www.andrusonhudson.org/).  Mrs. Coneys was 91 years old.  From 1975 to 1986, Mrs. Coneys was employed in the position of Home Economist by the Stauffer Chemical Company (see, e.g., https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8w95h17/), the former national chemical manufacturer, in the food and baking laboratory of their Eastern Research Center, formerly in Dobbs Ferry, NY. From 1973 to 1975, Mrs. Coneys was employed as a kindergarten teacher at Creative Country Day School, formerly in Yonkers, NY.  From 1950 to 1954 and again from 1960 to 1964, Mrs. Coneys was employed as the Home Economics Teacher for girls in high school grades by the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf (https://psd.org/), Philadelphia, PA, which this year celebrates its Bicentennial.  In 1950, Mrs. Coneys graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics from Drexel Institute of Technology (currently Drexel University, https://drexel.edu/), Philadelphia, PA.  During her college years, Mrs. Coneys was a proud member of the Delta Sigma Epsilon Sorority (absorbed into the Delta Zeta Sorority, Epsilon Zeta Chapter in 1956; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta_Sigma_Epsilon_(sorority)) and a member of the Newman Club and Home Economics Club.  To defray costs during college, Mrs. Coneys worked part-time during school terms and full-time during summers at the Parkway Central Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia (https://www.freelibrary.org/).  Mrs. Coneys was a 1946 graduate of the John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls’ High School (https://www.jwhallahan.com/), Philadelphia, PA, where she was one of Sister Alice Cecilia’s “Blue Ribbon Girls.”  Mrs. Coneys was a 1942 graduate of the St. Francis Xavier School (https://www.sfxoratory.org/), Philadelphia, PA.  From 1974 to 2016, Mrs. Coneys and her late husband were members of the Coveleigh Club in Rye, NY (https://www.coveleighclub.com/), where she made many good friends.  Mrs. Coneys was the founding Corporate Secretary The Exceptional Family, Inc., formerly a not-for-profit charitable corporation that served the needs and aspirations of developmental­ly disabled adults living in private institutions in New York State.  From 1964 to 2015, Mrs. Coneys and her late husband were active parishioners of the Church of the Annunciation (http://annunciation-fatima.com/) in Crestwood (Yonkers).  Mrs. Coneys was born in Philadelphia, PA to the late Dickey Price Frierson, Jr., and the late Kathryn Elizabeth Doerr Frierson on October 11, 1928.  From 1958-1964, Mrs. Coneys and her family lived up on Chestnut Hill in Philadelphia, where they resided on West Willow Grove Avenue.  She and her family were active parishioners of the Our Mother of Consolation Church (https://www.omcparish.com/), where she sent two of her three children to school.  At considerable expense for the time, Mrs. Coneys and her late husband enrolled their developmentally disabled eldest son, Walter Jude Coneys, in the opening class of the now defunct Don Guanella School, Springfield, PA (http://dgdpcommunities.org/history-of-don-guanella-village/), where Walter attended until he aged out of the school.  Throughout her life, Ann was very talented, industrious and thrifty in many aspects of needlework including sewing, knitting, crocheting, tatting, lace-making, quilting, macramé, etc.  Her late husband, Jack, often boasted about the amount of money that Ann saved them by making all of the drapes, curtains, table/bed/bath linens, quilted pot-holders and appliance covers, many other household items, most of the children’s clothing, much of her own clothing, and many items of his clothing such as sport jackets, trousers, sport shirts, sweaters, scarves, and several ties.  (Until she disabused him of the idea when he was about five years old, Ann’s son Michael was convinced that she had made him on the sewing machine.)  For more than 30 years while a member of Annunciation Church, Ann was a regular participant in a large parish ladies’ sewing group that made huge quantities of cancer pads, adult diapers and other quilted and/or sewn items for the patients of Rosary Hill Home for persons with terminal forms of cancer (https://www.rosaryhillhome.org/) in Hawthorne, NY.  Moreover, Ann was an outstanding hostess and gourmet cook who helped her husband’s career enormously by hosting many luncheon, dinner and cocktail parties for his business associates and clients as well as their numerous personal friends and acquaintances.  Everyday meals, and especially holiday dinners, were always delightful for her entire family, even when she was working outside of her cherished home. Ann was an avid corres­pondent with her many friends from childhood, high school, college and later life always eschewing electronic communication in favor of the dying arts of the hand-written, snail-mail letter.  Until fairly late in life, Ann and Jack maintained an enormous list of Christmas card recipients with Ann doing most of the work, while Jack added personalizing notes inside the cards.  Ann is survived by her devoted sons, Walter of Yorktown Heights, NY, and Michael of Bronxville, NY, both formerly of Crestwood (Yonkers) and Chestnut Hill.  Mrs. Coneys was predeceased in 2017 by her beloved husband of 66 years, John F. (“Jack”) Coneys, and in 2016 by her daughter Karen, whom she loved dearly.  After a viewing at Fred H. McGrath & Son, Inc., 20 Cedar Street, Bronxville, NY, on October 13, 2020, from 4-8 PM, and a Mass of Christian Burial on October 14, 2020 at 10:45 AM, at the Church of St. Joseph, 25 Cedar Street, Bronxville, NY, Mrs. Coneys will be buried at Fernwood Cemetery, Lansdowne, PA.  If you have any memories of Ann that you wish to share, please send them to her son Michael at michaelconeys@msn.com.

Calling Hours: 4 to 8 pm, Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Mass: 10:45 am, Wednesday, October 14, 2020 at St. Joseph's Church, Bronxville

Interment: Thursday, October 15, 2020 at Fernwood Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pa.

Condolences(5)

  1. REPLY
    Bernadette Manning says

    Dear Michael, the Manning Family was very sorry to hear of the passing of your Mother. Mrs. Coneys was a lovely and gracious woman and we always enjoyed meeting and chatting with the Coney Family. Our deepest sympathy to you and Walter and we often remember Karen with great fondness. Bernadette

    • REPLY
      Michael P Coneys says

      Dear Bernadette,

      Thank you ever so much for your kind message. I am always on the lookout for you Mom and Dad when I am walking around the Village and Midland Gardens and Mass across the street. I know that me Mother is at peace and experiencing the joy of her new home in Heaven.

      Best regards,

      Michael Coneys

  2. REPLY
    Debbie O'Connor says

    Michael, thank you for posting your mother’s bio. What an amazing woman she was! It is gratifying to read about an exceptional and resourceful woman. I hope that you can take some comfort in knowing that you are her faithful son, whom she is incredibly proud of. Hold onto the promise of the Resurrection, Michael. Wishing you continued strength and peace for the journey. . God bless.

  3. REPLY
    Bill Gray says

    Michael,

    Monica and I extend our condolences to Walter and you on the passing of your mother. She was a kind, beautiful, elegant woman. We always felt welcomed by the whole Coneys family whenever we visited Crestwood or Bronxville. Your obituary captures her warmth which was reflected in all her children. We grieve for her loss but are grateful for the memories left behind.

    Regards,

    Monica and Bill Gray

  4. REPLY
    Joan Cahill Wakeman says

    Hello Michael,

    I was deeply saddened to hear about your dear Mom passing away. Please know you and your family are in my prayers.

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