Seamus (James) Dooley, of Yonkers NY, passed away peacefully on Friday, November 13, 2020 at the age of 74. Seamus was born in Teelin, Co. Donegal, the fourth of eleven children of Patrick and Cait Dooley. A Monaghan man at heart, he was raised in the Killanny Parish in Essexford, Co. Monaghan, Ireland. 

Seamus moved to New York in 1973, to play Gaelic Football, and ended up making a life in the city. He worked as a bartender at the Bailey Pub in the Bronx NY, before becoming a member of the 32BJ Union, working as a doorman at 784 Park Avenue, Manhattan NY. Seamus married his wife, Virginia (Ginny) Blevens,, in July 1980. Together they raised their only daughter, Amanda Marie, until Ginny’s passing in June 1994. Seamus made Amanda the center of his world, ensuring that she lived a life of love and happiness.

Seamus was known as “Mr. GAA” due to his passion and dedication to the Gaelic Athletic Association and the Irish community. He worked tirelessly on making Gaelic Park a home to the Irish who found themselves on this side of the Atlantic. A devout Catholic, when he wasn’t on the field, he was taking up the offering or attending mass at St. Margaret of Cortona Parish in Riverdale NY. 

Seamus was predeceased by his parents, Patrick and Cait Dooley, as well as his wife, Ginny.

He will be greatly missed by his daughter and his son-in-law, Amanda and Michael Atkinson; his grandsons, Declan and Rohnan Atkinson; his siblings Mary (Johnny) Murtagh, Peader (Kathleen) Dooley, Mairead (Sean) Brogan, Sean (Patricia) Dooley, Thomas (Emily) Dooley, Pauline Dooley, Aine (Leo) McGlew, Terence (Annette), Padraig (Margaret) Dooley and Caith (Ciaran) O’Hart ; cousins; nieces and nephews; grand-nieces and grand-nephews; his GAA family both in New York and abroad, and his very wide circle of friends. 

Private calling hours for family and close friends will be held from 2 – 5pm, on Thursday, November 19 at Riverdale-on-Hudson Funeral Home, 6110 Riverdale Ave. Bronx, NY.

Funeral mass will be held on Saturday, November 21 at 9:45am at St. Margaret of Cortona Church, 6000 Riverdale Ave. Bronx NY.

Facial coverings are required and adherence to social distancing will be in effect for all memorial services.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in the memory of Seamus and Ginny to the American Cancer Society www.cancer.org