Mourning the death of Gerard Michael McKenna, distinguished citizen and devoted member of his community

Senate Resolution No. 2291

BY: Senator HARCKHAM

        MOURNING  the  death  of  Gerard  Michael McKenna,
        distinguished citizen  and  devoted  member  of  his
        community

  WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens  of  the  State  of  New York whose lifework and civic endeavor
served to enhance the quality of life in their communities and the great
State of New York; and

  WHEREAS, Gerard Michael McKenna, of Somers, New York,  died  on  May
14, 2026, at the age of 85; and

  WHEREAS,  Gerard  Michael  "Gerry"  McKenna  was born to Michael and
Margaret McKenna in South Bronx, New York, on July 15, 1940; he had  two
sisters, Peggy Ann Leahy and Sister Amadeus "Birdie" McKenna; and

  WHEREAS,  Gerard  McKenna  attended  Regis  High  School,  a  Jesuit
institution to  which  he  felt  forever  indebted;  while  on  academic
scholarship, he graduated from Boston College where he played basketball
and served in the United States Army ROTC; and

  WHEREAS,  In  later  years,  Gerard  McKenna also earned a Master of
Public Administration and Master of Business Administration from  Golden
Gate University and Baruch College; and

  WHEREAS, After serving as personal aide to Brigadier General Charles
"Monk"  Meyer,  in  1966,  Captain  Gerard  McKenna deployed to Vietnam;
there, he eventually took command of Bravo Company, 2nd  Battalion,  5th
Cavalry  Regiment,  1st  Cavalry  Division,  a unit engaged in airmobile
operations within the Ia Drang Valley; and

  WHEREAS,  For  his  service,  Gerard  McKenna  earned   the   Combat
Infantryman's  Badge  and  a  Bronze  Star;  he carried the names of his
fellow servicemen who lost their lives; he spent the next  25  years  in
the  Army  National  Guard and Reserves, a period of time which included
graduating from the Army War College, serving as the  commander  of  the
Fighting 69th Infantry Regiment, and receiving the Legion of Merit; and

  WHEREAS,  As  Colonel McKenna loved to say, he retired from the Army
with "30 years, 29 days" of service, the maximum the law would  let  him
stay; and

  WHEREAS,  Upon  his  return from Vietnam in 1967, Gerard McKenna met
the love of his life, Cathleen; the  two  worked  closely  together  for
several  years  before  he  had the courage to ask her for a date; their
love grew quickly, sharing a sense of humor and love of travel; and

  WHEREAS, After a brief courtship, Gerard and Cathleen  McKenna  were
married  on  October  27,  1973,  and began their lives together in Park
Chester, New York; in 1977, Cathleen fell in love with Somers, New York,
where the two would then share the next 45 years  together,  building  a
family; and

  WHEREAS,   In  a  close-knit  household,  the  couple  raised  three
children, Daniel, Marshall,  and  Jennifer;  a  deeply  engaged  father,
Gerard  McKenna  never  missed his children's sporting events and guided
their academic and intellectual  development;  his  family  were  active
members  of St. Patrick's in Bedford where he chaired the Parish Council
and frequently volunteered as trash collector  and  security  at  school
functions; and

  WHEREAS,  In  his  civilian  career, Gerard McKenna rose through the
ranks as a commercial lending officer for  several  large  international
banks; he enjoyed building rapport with his clients and would regale the
family  with  (repeated) stories of deals won and lost; outside of work,
one of his greatest pleasures was mentoring young people  and  providing
support as they faced career crossroads or other life challenges; and

  WHEREAS, Over time, the family of five quickly became eight with the
addition   of   the   children's   spouses,  Natalie  (Daniel),  Kaitlyn
(Marshall), and Paul (Jennifer); Gerard McKenna took great  pleasure  in
getting to know each of them and celebrating their successes; and

  WHEREAS,  No  conversation  with  Gerard  McKenna  ended without the
knowledge of exactly how proud of his children  and  their  partners  he
was;  after  his  wife's  death in 2022, he found comfort in guiding his
five grandchildren, Noelle, Patrick, Madeline, Declan,  and  Emily,  and
telling them all about their Grandma Cathy; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED,  That  this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Gerard Michael McKenna  and  to  honor  his  enduring
legacy;   his  legacy  of  service  and  resilience  will  live  on  for
generations  to  come,  and  he  will  be  deeply  missed  and  lovingly
remembered by all who knew him; and be it further

  RESOLVED,  That  a  copy  of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the family of Gerard Michael McKenna.