RUTLAND, VT — Philip John Kearney, 59, has passed away after a short, but brave fight with lung and brain cancer. Phil was born on February 15, 1958 in Saratoga Springs, NY in the midst of a snowstorm of epic proportions (three feet!). He was the cherished son of John R. (Jack) Kearney and Jane Margretta Kearney, and the beloved brother of Anne Kearney Proulx.
Phil was a wonderful, fun-loving guy who had many close friends as he was growing up in Saratoga: skiing buddies, classmates who would become life-long friends, and neighbors on Jumel Place who thought he was the greatest guy ever. Philip graduated from Saratoga Springs High School in 1976; he attended Adirondack Community College in Glens Falls, NY for a short period, but decided the lure of the nearby mountains of Vermont was where he needed to be. He spent several years at Sugarbush, learning all he could about this wonderful sport, honing his skills enough to become an instructor at this mountain where he assembled a great group of long-time friends.
Philip was known for diving into projects and hobbies that he was passionate about: fishing, boating, spear-making, music and everything in between. He was a long-time member of the Ducati Motorcycle Club.
Phil’s early working career in Vermont was spent as the Tech Support Guru at three Rutland schools; he also was self-employed in the Tech Support arena. (Note: Philip was a self-taught computer geek; whenever anyone had a question on what was happening with their computer, a phone call to Phil would most likely clear up the problem.) When a job offer as a Telecommunications Specialist at Vermont’s Electric Power Company (VELCO) arose, he accepted the offer gratefully. Phil worked for VELCO for over seventeen years. During his time at the company, he held three roles and each called upon his sound judgement and spirited style: Telecommunications Specialist, Field Construction Coordinator, and most recently, Safety Manager. Phil was very purposeful in his approach and he leveraged every opportunity to build on the deep knowledge he developed and enjoyed sharing with others. Phil was a man adept at anticipating and delivering on customer needs, whether internally or externally. He held high expectations for himself and others and was enthusiastic, creative and earned the respect and trust of all. You could always count on Phil to bring his keen sense of humor and lighten the mood in the room. He demonstrated tremendous pride in his work and inspired his colleagues to do the same. Throughout his time in the utility industry, he touched the lives of so many contractors, consultants, landowners and others. Phil leaves behind nearly 150 VELCO co-workers who were fortunate to have known his kind soul and will miss him dearly.
Phil is survived by his soulmate and caregiver, Lori Terenzini Kearney of Rutland, their children, of whom he was endlessly and immensely proud, John R. (Jack) Kearney and Margaret Jane (Maggie) Kearney, his mother-in-law, Marie Terenzini, all of Rutland, his niece Angela Kelley Sanborn and her husband Matt Sanborn of Bangor, Maine; his big sister, Anne Kearney Proulx and her husband Donald of Saratoga Springs, his niece, Whitney Kristine Rebisz and her husband David, of Broadalbin, NY, many cousins, near and far, and friends too numerous to list (you know who you are).
There will be a Celebration of Phil’s Life on Saturday, January 6, 2018 from 1 until 4 p.m. at Southside Restaurant, 170 South Main Street (Rt. 7), in Rutland.
In lieu of flowers, donations would be gratefully accepted in Phil’s name at VNA and Hospice of the Southwestern Region, 7 Albert Cree Drive, #7, Rutland, VT 05701.
