The Orbiter

For anyone that was wanting to read some of John's work. This is something he wrote that was published in The Drunken Boat:

http://www.drunkenboat.com/db15/john-s-cooney

Enjoy the writing of our genius buddy :)

I miss John Cooney and how patient and brilliant he was. He was always willing to listen to my crazy million questions, offer a new way of looking at a problem, or challenging me...always pushing me to grow and learn more. He made me smarter. I liked his laugh, when he wore that pink shirt,  and that he was a fellow vegetarian but still knew how to cook meat. He was humble and friendly and awesome. I miss the movember mustache, running into him getting coffee at 3pm, his snarky emails, and that he was a profound leader to us all without even trying. Such a fantastic human and I'm beyond grateful for having worked with him, learned from him, and known him. 

There are so many quick moments that I so clearly remember during the 5.5 years that I knew John. Everyday moments of pushing his glasses on his nose, throwing the bag over his shoulder. Moments like first meeting him at the Orbit open-house party, explaining our code and requirements for his first project, wishing him well on his honeymoon, meetings about becoming Team Leader, feedback discussions about the team. The visions of him were so impressionable. Characteristics like the big boots, the untucked white button-down shirt over the sleeveless undershirt, the sleeves rolled up, the extraordinarily loud aggressive typing, the willingness to explain anything he cared about until you simply had to agree with him - usually because he was right.

He was truly honest and empathic at all times, and then would add a complex layer of sarcasm or sly humor that just made you appreciate what he said even more because of HOW he said it. Great balance of honest work and humorous perspective. Always the teacher, debater. He was passionate about his work like it was core to his life. John Cooney was approachable, friendly, smart, witty, well educated, great writer, well read, good taste. He had it all.

I think about him everyday at the most emotional moments. He was a true inspiration. I miss him dearly.

Thank you Andy crestodina  for writing this post.

Not a day goes by that I don't think of John. There's so many good things to say about him that it's difficult to condense it into one or two paragraphs. He was an amazingly smart and talented person. I miss his sense of humor and it still brings a smile to my face when I read some of his old emails. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with and learn from him.

We miss you, John.

So Sorry to listen that news, although i didn't know him personally as i did Andy crestodina . But I always loved what work Orbit Media has done. And this story of a great man inspired me in and across my soul. I am picking up lots of good things from John's immaculate story and will surely adapt them to become a better person like him. 

I pray that John will rest in Peace and his family will be able to bear the precious loss. 

My favorite John memory was from an internal meeting where we were discussing how to tackle a particularly difficult problem from a particularly difficult project.  In the midst of the meeting someone commented that this was the toughest requirement, to which John simply replied with a laugh and after a brief pause, "So far."  To me that summarized his sense of humor and conservative and analytical way of thinking.  From there we worked until we figured out a solution, with him spearheading the effort.  It's during these kinds of moments that his absence is most noticeable.  He made everyone around him better.

Cooney was the first person at my office I can really remember FEELING that he believed in me - he didn't just want me to take on bigger and harder challenges because that's what Orbit needed from me, but because he KNEW I could do it, and he wanted me to prove that to everyone else too. John was an excellent, amazing mentor and you could go to him and talk to him about everything and anything without feeling like you were being judged or wasting his time.

He somehow managed to become the Developer Leader that we never thought twice about - of course it was going to be John, because hadn't he somehow been the one wrangling us together when we wanted to all go in different directions all along? I miss him every time I have a difficult time explaining why we should do something this way for usability reasons, every time I try to work on files that say 'Don't change this without speaking to John Cooney first', and every time I'm just trying to figure out how to be as respected and intelligent person possible.

One of my favorite song lyrics goes “You've gotta stand right up for something Or you're gonna fall....for anything”  John Cooney never fell for anything because that he stood for so much.  He used his ability to consume tons of information and meticulously form his position.  Then he only voiced his opinion when it really mattered and in a way that was both open-minded and respectful of others opinions.  He stood for all that was good.  I’m grateful for having got to walk on this earth with him and miss him greatly.

I have so many great memories with John that I cannot count them on my fingers and toes. What a great human being, friend and colleague.  I've known and loved John since I met with his wife Bridget during grad school in 2004 (9 years!).  What a great 9 years it has been getting know such a cool human being.  What an unexplainable and heartbreaking loss - he was such a big part of my life.  Where he was there is a missing piece. 

His passion for relationships, charity, cooking, writing, work, and family were above and beyond the typical person's agenda.  He came to work every day with a very strong and specific purpose in mind.  He made choices in life based on what he believed and always made it a point to choose the path of best intentions. He was one of the smartest and funniest people I've ever met.  There will never be anyone else like him. 

His taste in music was very eclectic and I can remember him always giving me crap for making comments like "old folks home music" or "circus music".  That poor speaker dock and old ipod got so much wear and tear being moved inside and outside the kitchen window sill throughout the seasons so we could sit on the back porch and talking and BBQing.  

He and my husband Bobby were so close and we constantly think about the good times we all had.

One time John and I walked all the way from their new apartment to their old apartment and back in a snowstorm to pick up a wind chime that had been with he and Bridget for a bunch of years.  He told me all these stories about how he loved the snow and how some of his favorite years were spent in Virginia talking with Bridget and Linnea after work each night - just talking and drinking beer and people watching. He told me that night how very much he loved his wife and how he couldn't imagine spending his life with anyone else.  It was such a special and sweet conversation that I'll never forget.

I miss debating about politics and religion until the wee hours of the morning.  I miss weekly "family" dinners and too much red wine and Sox games on the television and chatting on make-shift bar stools in the kitchen about weekly odds and ends.  I miss furniture shopping and trying to restaurants with my favorite couple. I miss watching John BBQ big slabs of ribs with homemade BBQ sauce << the only vegetarian that I know with such great meat-cooking skills. I miss the normal day to day moments of John drinking black coffee out of that Garfield glass and his random chats with me about being more confident in myself and how I need to realize my full potential.  I already miss all that stuff daily. 

He had such an internal desire for debate and had the best sarcastic humor that I miss dearly.  

I'm lucky and thankful to have gotten the pleasure to know him for the years I did.  You made an impression on me John Cooney....and so many other people.  You will not be forgotten.

John was great mentor. Whenever my job presented me with a puzzle that needed resolution, I would elect Cooney as the arbitrator.  He would give me a thoughtful, confident answer and I would always feel the right choice was made. The best moments were when I would stump him and we'd have to work through the problem together.

I remember the first time I met John over 8 years ago. I was working at commercial real estate company and he came in to interview for the web developer position. Poor guy, it was so hot in our offices and he was sweating buckets. There was construction going on all around us and he still maintained the up most professionalism. 

I've been close friends with him every since.

I'm one of the lucky ones to have been close to him and his wife, B. He's seriously one of the smartest people I will ever know. In fact, when we use to play Trivial Pursuit, it would be all of us against him and he'd STILL beat us! 

When I hear the saying "the man, the myth, the legend" I think of him. He is a legend in my eyes. He's read everything, he cared more about others than himself, he made the best BBQ that I've ever had the pleasure of eating AND he's a vegetarian. 

I could go on and on about how great this man is. I've got a ton of good memories that I will always cherish. 

John, I hope you know how much I love and respect you. I'm blessed to have been in your tight circle of friends. I miss you daily and always will. 

I wear an imaginary WWCD bracelet every time I look at a new usability challenge. Make that proudly wear.

Also, I finally got that record player. I'm sure you'd of given me a few amazing LPs to try. I miss your passion.