Dr. Lloyd William Rooney
July 17, 1939- June 23, 2019
Dr. Lloyd Rooney, Professor Emeritus in the department of Soil and Crop Sciences, passed away, surrounded by family, in his home on June 23, 2018. A rosary will be recited at 6:30 followed by visitation until 8pm, Thursday, June 27, 2019 at St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church. Funeral Mass will be at 10am, Friday, June 28, 2019, at St. Thomas Catholic Church. Interment will be at 1:30pm, Friday, June 28, 2019 at Mt. Calvary Cemetery. Services are in the care of Callaway-Jones Funeral and Cremation Centers, Bryan-College Station.
He was born to Tamzen and Lloyd Rooney on July 17, 1939 in Rawns County, Kansas. He was raised on the family wheat and cattle farm in Rawlins County, learning the value of hard work through farm chores with his five siblings. He attended elementary school in a one-room school house and later graduated from McDonald High School in 1957. He attended Kansas State University, earning a B.S. in 1961 and a Ph.D. in 1965, both in Grain Science.
After completion of his studies in 1965, he accepted a faculty position in grain quality at Texas A&M University, where he remained until retirement in 2013. Over his 48-year tenure, his research and teaching activities in the Cereal Quality Lab focused on the improvement of grain structure and chemistry of corn, sorghum and wheat for food utilization. He worked with crop improvement programs domestically and internationally (Africa, India and Latin America) to develop crop cultivars with improved grain quality. In addition to research, Dr. Rooney advised more than 130 students to graduate degrees in Food Science; many of these former students have further impacted grain quality research globally.
Dr. Rooney was recognized for his research impact on numerous occasions including: The Texas A&M University Regents Award; Texas A&M College of Agriculture Awards for Teaching; Research and Collaborative Team Research; the Mexican National Academy of Science Distinguished Researcher Award; the American Association of Cereal Chemistry Research Award and International Fellow of the American Association of Cereal Chemistry.
Lloyd is survived by his wife of 55 years, Maxine Rooney, their three children (and spouses); Bill (and Megan) Rooney of College Station, TX, Tammy (and Steve) Duke of Lucas, TX, and Marcille (and Salvador) Aldrett of Katy, TX. Lloyd was a proud grandfather to William, David and Travis Rooney; Kaitlyn, Cassandra and Caroline Duke; and Andrew, Marielle, Gianna, and Annelise Aldrett. His great-grandchildren, Liam Rooney and two more due within the year, also survive him. When not working on research and teaching, Dr. Rooney loved to spend time on their small ranch near Kurten where he and Maxine have lived for the past 43 years. Lloyd and Maxine are parishioners of St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
Lloyd always told his children to leave the world a better place than they found it for themselves, their descendants, and others; they feel that he did exactly that through his example as a devout family man, and through his research and training of grain scientists working around the world. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the memorial scholarship in his name at Texas A&M University or to Brazos Valley hospice organization.
Texas A&M Foundation
Hospice Brazos Valley – https://www.hospicebrazosvalley.org/
Lloyd W. and Maxine Rooney Endowed Graduate Scholarship at the Texas A&M Foundation https://www.txamfoundation.com/
Express condolences at CallawayJones.com
To the Rooney family and friends please accept my deepest condolences for the loss of your loved one Lloyd.
Very soon Jesus Christ will bring the loved ones we have lost in death back to life Acts 24:15; John 5:28, 29, right here on a brand new Paradise Earth no more sickness pain or death Life without end Revelation 21:1-5.
Our deepest sympathy’s to your family for the loss of Mr. Lloyd. He was a great man. I was glad to watch him on Wednesday for the short time I did. I’m praying for you Maxim and your family.
Love , Lisa & Richard Locke
What a sad news. This weekend my tougths were with Dr Rooney. In fact, I was thinking to ask Sergio Serna about your phone number to see how he was doing.
I am sure he is at a better place, he deserves to be with the Lord. Receive my most sincere condolences and all my love.
My thoughts and prayers are with all of you. The Rooneys played a big role in my life. Thanks for sharing Lloyd with me and the rest of his students.
We are deeply sorry about the loss of Dr Rooney. As you grieve, please know that we are remembering and honoring him for his kindness and more importantly, helping so many aspiring food scientists from around the globe achieve their dreams. He was a good man. May his soul rest in peace.
-Best Regards
Sam and the entire Asante Family (TX and Ghana).
So sorry for your loss but I know Lloyd’s in a better place now. Our prayers are with the family.
Dear Maxine and Marcy,
My thoughts are with all of you. Please accept my condolences.
Dr. Rooney was a great person and a great teacher. I have very fond memories of him and I will always be grateful that he accepted me in his program. I want to let you know that although I am very saddened by his passing, remembering him is bringing a lot of smiles to my face (his humor was unique!).
Sincerely,
Marcelo Mitre (’01)
I am deeply sorry for your loss. Without a doubt, one, if not the best teachers I have ever had. I will forever be grateful for all of the wisdom he imparted on us, his students. Dr. Rooney may your soul Rest In Peace with the company of our Lord. Prayers to all of his family.
Dear Bill,
Please accept my deepest condolence to your dad, Dr. Lloyd Rooney. He was a great scientist and professor. I still remember his smile when we talked each other during the annual wheat workers meeting. It was good to see him at Bushland (June) and College Station (August) in the summer of 2018. He will be missed by many people. Take care!
Dear Maxine, dear Marcie and Rooney family:
At this moment of great loss for you and your loved ones, I can only offer my deepest condolences but also love and gratitude for the happy times I shared with you all.
Dr. Rooney was a kind mentor, a great teacher and the best of what God has placed on this earth. He really cared for others and made a great positive difference in the world. I am proud and lucky to have known him and his laughter and enthusiasm is how I will always remember him.
With Love,
Martha C. Leon Chapa (1997-1999)
Dr Rooney was a great role model for students all over the world. I know it is a great life that he lived and want to wish the best for the Rooney family during this tough time.
On a lighter note, I took his food product development class during undergraduate and thought he might fail me because our group did not use sorghum as a key ingredient in our “high fiber brownie”. A hallmark moment between Dr Rooney and I.
Dear Maxine and Family
I am deeply sorry for the loss of Pro. Rooney,
My sincere condolences to the Rooney family, May the good Lord shower you with his mercies as you go through this trauma.
My good memories about Prof Rooney, stem from the tremendous support I received from him through INSORMIL and the role He played together with Prof John Taylor, Prof. Garry Peterson, and Dr. Medson Chisi, in nurturing me as sorghum cereal scientist.
These memories shall rain for ever
Dear Ms. Maxine, Dr. Bill Rooney and family,
Please accept our deepest sorrow and sympathies on your loss. I hope he can now rest in peace. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
I will never forget my time spent with Dr. Lloyd Rooney. He is indeed an icon and role model for many generations of students and cereal researchers including myself. I guess the best way to memorize and honor him is to carry his spirits and legacies forward with me, which is what he once told me, “the Aggie tradition is doing a damn good job.” I will do my best.
Warm regards,
Liyi Yang and family
May the good Lord comfort the family and May his soul rest in eternal peace. AMEN
With all due respect to Dr. Lloyd Rooney’s family my deep sorrow for his unfortunate passing, hoping that god will grant them resignation and strength to endure such a terrible loss. He was a great professional, as well as a great person, with whom i shared during my stay at Texas A&M as graduate student and as a colaborator in El Salvador for INTSORMIL Research Program. Rest in peace Dr. Rooney, I will always remember you as my proffesor and as a father. Thank you Dr. Lloyd for your support and for everything. So Long. God Bless you.
Sorry to learn of Dr. Rooney’s passing. He was a great colleague and friend, and will be missed by many.
Jimmy Keeton
Professor Emeritus
Nutrition and Food Science
Dr. Lloyd Rooney was a man of character and faith. He and Maxine raised a wonderful family whose virtue and integrity bear witness to the positive influence of their parents.
May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Dear Mrs Rooney, Bill, Tammy and Merceill,
Please accept Jumoke and my condolence on the passing on of Dr Rooney, my mentor. He will always remain in our heart. Would love to be present at his burial, but we cannot. However, our spirits are with you in the programs leading to his interment.
Dear Maxine, Bill, and Family,
Please accept our deepest condolences. Our thoughts are with all of you. Dr. Rooney was a great person, mentor, and professor. He will be missed.
Linda and James Dykes
Dear Dr Bill Rooney, Mrs Maxine and Rooney family. Please accept my deepest condolences on your loss. Dr Rooney was a great role model for all the students. He was one the best persons that I met in my life. The scientific community looses a very distinguished member. He would always be in my heart and prayers forever.
I wish his soul Rest In Peace.
With deepest sympathy,
Shima Agah
Maxine, Bill, the ladies and grand children, my sincere condolences for the passing of your father, our father in food and agricultural sciences, Professor Emeritus, Dr. Lloyd Williams Rooney.
We called him the father of Quality Sorghum Foods and of Texas A&M University Cereal Quality Laboratory. His sacrifices of love, compassion, knowledge, understanding and wisdom impacted good success and courage to all of his graduate students in ways beyond measure. He emptied of himself to serve humanity and to change the world for the better. I am one of you because of him.
I stand on his shoulders in doing my best to change the lives of Africans for a better tomorrow through the knowledge and confidence Dr. Rooney impacted upon me during my time at the CQL from August 1986 to December 1989. When I launched my first food science consulting business in 2009, Dr. Rooney and Maxine were with me in Las Vegas. His support over the course of my Corporate career with Fortune100 food companies remains evergreen in my memory.
Just last week, I thought about Dr. Rooney. I asked myself the question, how would we know when the Lord calls him home. I thought of reaching out to Cassandra McDonough to make sure that we put in place a reach out mechanism for all former students of Dr. Rooney for such a time as this. I didn’t get to reach out. Little did I know that he was, in his own way, reaching out to me by the spirit of God that dwells in us. Even at death, he reached out to say goodbye to me. What else could I have asked of him? He gave to me all that God the Father commanded!
While we mourn the passing of our great leader, our father, and our boss, let me say a BIG thank you to Maxine and all of you for sharing your father and grandpa with the rest of us, his former students. We celebrate his life with you for the impact he made in our lives. I would not be whom I have become today without the love and compassion of Dr. Rooney towards me as one of his several graduate students.
Rest in Peace, Dr. Lloyd Williams Rooney!
Dr. Tony Bello
Class of ’89
You my brothers Chava and Marcy, and all the Rooney family, accept my deepest condolences. I feel so sorry for all of you. Dr Rooney was a man that thought me a Lot.
Dear Maxine and Family,
Please accept our deepest condolences. It is very difficult to express in words what Dr. Rooney meant to us. He was a great teacher, a great man and truly a role model for us. Sara and I were fortunate to be part of CQL and share so many moments and experiences with him. We will always remember Dr. Rooney with great affection.
Our prayers are with the family.
Rest in peace.
Rodrigo and Sara Lobeira (1994-1998)
Maxine, Dr. Rooney – was on my mind today, and I decided to Google his name. I learned that he passed away 3 days ago. My empathy and sympathy will always be with you and your family as you both mourn and celebrate his life – forever. His life is a joy to my life story. He knew I appreciated him dearly. I always looked forward to seeing the two of you at the annual AACC meetings.
My story . . . I chose to study Food Science because of Dr. Rooney’s Experimental Foods class. That class was junior level, but I took the class my sophomore year before completing organic chemistry – what a mistake that was. On the first test, I made the 3rd lowest grade of the class. Because I had done so poorly in THE class, THE ONE class that I so much wanted to take for 2 years (forever to a teenager), I dropped out of school – unforgettable. Three days later, I asked Dr. Rooney if I could return – fortunately he allowed me to continue. I had a lot of growing up to do. He taught me through his pop quizzes that life doesn’t wait for you to study for an exam before you learn material . . . you have to be ready for any pop quiz that life could throw your direction. He wrote a letter of recommendation for me when I applied to graduate school at Kansas State University in 1982. I’m glad that he believed in me when I did not believe in me. His “kicks in the butt” were well placed. He also said , , ,” just because you apply doesn’t mean that you sign on the dotted line”. Life has been good, and he was good for my life.
Love always. Have a hug.
Merrie Martin, Ph,D. – KSU ’89
TAMU class of ’80.
Dear Maxine, Bill and Family…my deepest condolences. There aren’t many days that go by that my work isn’t influenced by Lloyd’s lifetime of dedicated grain quality research. Lloyd made a huge impact on me when I was just getting started and was graciously helpful to me beyond measure. He was a great role model and impacted so many people in a positive way.
To Dr. Lloyd Rooney’s family and friends: I worked closely with Dr. Rooney during the 1990s, in support of a major agricultural development project in the country of Mali, in West Africa. He was not only a dedicated scientist committed to helping improve availability of healthy foods for the local population, he was also huge of heart, hilarious and fun to work with. I will always appreciate the contributions Dr. Rooney made to the success of that project, and his friendship and encouragement during my early years working at Texas A&M. He was one of a kind, as I know you know. Please accept my love and heartfelt condolences during this time of loss.
Dear Maxine, Bill, and family:
It is hard for me to put into words the deep appreciation for all the contributions Dr. Lloyd Rooney provided to the sorghum industry. Lloyd educated, mentored, inspired, and influenced the futures of the many countless people that he touched including my own. His legacy will live forever in all those privileged to have known him. I would like to express my deepest condolences to everyone with heavy hearts who are feeling his loss.
Dear Maxine, Bill, Tammy, Marcie and Family,
I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Dr. Rooney.
He was certainly a great teacher and a wonderful person. I was very fortunate to be under his direction at the CQL. His dedication, guidance and exemplary work forged me into becoming a better student and person, and I will be forever grateful to him.
María and I remember with special affection the many times we shared with him and all the Rooney family at his home. Dr. Rooney will always hold a special place in our hearts.
May God bless you and keep you in His peace, and may our Blessed Mother give you confort at this difficult time. May his soul rest in peace.
My deepest sympathy and condolences to the Rooney family for the loss of Dr Rooney. He will be remembered for all his good deeds and contributions made to Food Science. He will be greatly missed! I hope your family find solace and know that he is not suffering anymore. Rest in peace and may God bless his soul.
Dear Maxine and Family,
My deepest condolences to you and all of your family. I am grateful for the time I spent at Texas A&M CQL and fortunate to have Dr. Rooney as my teacher, mentor and friend. Dr. Rooney took a chance on me and fought for me to join the program. He believed in me even when I couldn’t. His love and passion for cereal grains science, helping develop programs in other countries and his love of humankind was an inspiration. He will be forever missed! He used to say “young lady you have moxie”. You sir are the one with moxie and I am forever grateful I could led and developed by such a wonderful man and great human being. RIP Dr. Rooney ~ Heather (Yeggy) Kuntz class of 2000
To the families of such an honorable, successful man.
Dr. Rooney told stories about how the Irish had fights with the Czechs when he went to school. I told him I hope that someday he will meet my dad, he was Czech and fought the Irish boys at school.
I know they are both up in heaven and can now trade stories with one another.
Please accept my sincere condolences. Llyod will be missed. He was a magnet to all young scientists in the field. There was not a meeting that one did not find a crowd of young scientists surrounding him listening in awe. He was a stellar scientist and gentleman. I will miss him dearly.
My deepest condolences to Maxine and family. Dr. Rooney was an incredible teacher and mentor. I am forever grateful for his guidance, encouragement and support. The lessons I learned from him have lasted far beyond my time with CQL, and for that I am profoundly grateful. May his soul rest in peace in the presence of our Heavenly Father. He will be deeply missed.
Saddened with the news as not only were we cousins born in the same year (1939) but we were both at KSU 1957-61. I regret that our ways parted but am impressed to read of his accomplishments and feel proud to recognize Lloyd as a relative. I am also adding as many relatives as possible to a ‘family tree’ so will be doing so with his family. Keeping all of you in my prayers.
My sincere condolences to the Rooney family. I just found out this sad news a moment ago when I was trying to find the status/email of Dr. Lloyd Rooney to report some research findings we had recently, which I thought he would be interested to know. Back in 2012, we wanted to dedicate an earlier publication to him but found that it was not allowed by the journal. So, we opted to acknowledge his pioneering work in the acknowledgements section. This newly completed work is the continuation of the previous research, but not late. Although not related in academic pedigree with Dr. Rooney or in grain science research, I did have the privilege to study his many papers and interact with Dr. Rooney a few times through email/phone and in person. He is such a wonderful scientist who always encourages young ones to pursue the new questions! His impact is wide and he will be missed…