Cyril Graham Mooney

Cyril was born on April 6, 1937 in Hong Kong of Irish and Chinese descent to Alfred O.W. Mooney and May Lau. He had two older siblings, Mary Pomeroy and Charles Mooney, as well as a younger sister, Lily Chan.

As a teenager, he enjoyed learning martial arts and playing soccer. After attending high school at La Salle College in Hong Kong, Cyril came to the United States where he earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at Loyola University in Los Angeles, CA.

He met his wife, Margaret Chow, at an international students’ dance at UCLA, where she was a French major. The two continued their courtship in Europe while Cyril was obtaining his master’s degree at the University of New Castle in England and Margaret was studying abroad in France. They married in 1967 in Hong Kong and immigrated to the United States in 1969. While living in Southern California, Cyril obtained two professional licenses in mechanical and chemical engineering. He worked in the telecommunications, construction, and oil industries, and retired from Parsons Corporation.

Cyril and Margaret raised two daughters, Monica and Angelica, and were married for 52 years. Following retirement, they relocated in 2004 to Vernon Hills, IL to help Monica and her husband, Brian Lau, raise their two boys, Finley and Hayden. In 2008, they then moved to Atlanta, GA where Angie and her husband, Robert Woo, Jr., live with their three daughters, Erin, Megan, and Caeley.

Cyril was a life-long Catholic, serving as an altar boy in Hong Kong and as a Eucharistic Minister in California. He loved listening to classical music and watching sports and Chinese dramas. On January 7, 2020, Cyril passed away from complications of pneumonia at the age of 82. He is survived by his wife, two daughters, and five grandchildren. He will be remembered for his generous spirit, strong work ethic, and selfless devotion to his family.