Cathleen Pinnella

Cathleen Ann Pinnella

August 29, 1942 – May 17, 2019

Cathleen passed away peacefully with her beloved family by her side on May 17, 2019. She was born to Henrietta and Frederick Gannon on August 29, 1942 in Brooklyn, NY. Cathleen was raised and educated in the Catholic faith, attending Fourteen Holy Martyrs Elementary School and All Saints Commercial High School, achieving national recognition for her scholastic abilities.

Her life’s ambition was to be a caring and loving mother. She and her predeceased husband, Robert Coveny, raised their three beautiful children in Manhattan, Queens Village and New Hyde Park, NY. Later in life she worked for the Great Neck Adult Education Program where she made lifelong friends and met and married her devoted husband, John Pinnella. Together they remained dedicated to their combined wonderful families.

Cathleen held several leadership positions in the Great Neck Lions Club including: President, District 20 K2 Governor’s Visitation Coordinator for Nassau County and Bermuda and Director of the New York State & Bermuda Lions Foundation. She received numerous distinguished awards, including: Past District Governor’s Leadership Award and the Robert J. Uplinger Distinguished Service Award. She was also elected a Melvin Jones Fellow for Dedicated Services to Lions Club International Foundation.

She was a loving daughter, sister, cousin, wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, great aunt, step mother, step grandmother, step great grandmother and friend. She touched so many lives in a meaningful way, and will be greatly missed by all.

Cathleen is survived by her husband, John, her sons, Patrick Coveny, Kevin Coveny and his wife, Erin, and her daughter, Coleen Reilley and her husband Steve, her sister and brother-in-law, Eileen and Walter Irving, her grandchildren, Kellyann and Sean Coveny, Victoria and Shannon Reilley, and Sarah and Ryan Coveny, her stepsons Michael and his wife, Tammy, and Steven and his wife, Jessica, and her step grandchildren, Steven, Stephanie, Christopher, Wayne, Josephine, Genevieve, Ettore, Gideon and Samuel and his wife, Tara, and step great grandson, Edward, and many special nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, and many friends and loved ones.

A celebration of life is planned on Wednesday, May 22nd from 2-4pm and 7-9pm, at Moloney Funeral Home in Center Moriches, NY. Mass will be held on Thursday, May 23rd at 10:45am at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Center Moriches, NY. Mass will be followed by a burial service at St. Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale, NY.

As an alternative to flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Cathleen’s honor.

To Have Known Her Was to Love Her