Former CEO of Palm Beach Kennel Club, Patrick Rooney Sr. (1939–2023), left his imprint on the community
The son of late Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney Sr., Patrick Rooney Sr. was a longtime resident of Palm Beach County, the former CEO of the Palm Beach Kennel Club, and passed away on Sunday. He was eighty-four.
Art Rooney Sr., one of his five sons, relocated to Palm Beach County in 1984 to manage the greyhound track for his father, who had purchased it for approximately $7 million in 1970. A Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame member, Patrick Rooney Sr., gave up management of PBKC to his son, Patrick Rooney Jr., in 2009. With $199 million in wagers made the following year, it ranked as the top dog track in the country.
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The Palm Beach Kennel Club released a statement on Tuesday stating, “Pat Sr.’s achievements for the Palm Beach Kennel Club and other Rooney family organizations were incomparable.” “Pat was also well-known for his charitable contributions to the community, and he has received numerous important honors. His passion for his family, friends, and game of golf will always be remembered, along with his generosity, faith, and exuberance. His wife Sandy, kids, family, and numerous friends are in our thoughts and prayers.”
While most of the Rooney family eventually owned residences in Palm Beach County, the majority of them were born and raised in western Pennsylvania (Patrick Sr. also owned a home in Hellertown). Other sons included Tom Rooney, a former U.S. congressman from 2009 to 19, and Joe Rooney, who assisted in the opening of the Palm Beach Gardens Marriott and collaborated with Pat Jr. to introduce Rooney-themed restaurants in West Palm Beach, Jupiter, and Palm Beach International Airport. Patrick Jr. was a former member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2010 to 2016.
Four of Art Rooney’s sons lived in Palm Beach County at one point. Tim, Art II, and John, Patrick’s twin brother, who passed away in December of last year, all had holiday residences in Palm Beach Gardens. The Rooneys were well-known in the community’s social and philanthropic circles. Sports business analyst Rick Horrow, based in Palm Beach, once told The Palm Beach Post that “the Rooneys should indisputably be called the first family of Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast.” “Because they are enmeshed into every part of the community fabric, not simply because of their sports and current political affiliations.”
At its annual banquet in January of this year, the Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society honored Patrick and his wife, Sandra. The Rooneys’ acceptance of the Gala Stewardship Award, which recognized their many years of commitment to the zoo through charitable giving and action, was the high point of the evening.
That evening, Patrick Rooney stated, “Since the beginning of time, the balance of the earth depends on how humans, plants, and animals are connected so that the system of life survives.” “We ensure future generations’ right to live in a natural world by protecting wildlife.”
