Obituary of John B. Caveny

John Boyd Caveny was born May 22, 1940, married February 23, 1963, died October 10, 2018. John was the son of Betty & Paul Caveny. He loved and was dearly loved by his family; wife Barbara (aka Bonnie), his 5 children & their families: John & Lisa, daughter Megan; Paul & Bianca son Colton; Kate &Michelle Merlino, children Cindy, Jose, Nathan, Kylei, Anna; Patrick &Wendy, children Jake, Carly, Sammy; Mary Beth Keating children Conor, Grace, Tim & Mae. Sisters are Sharon (Tom) Murphy, Kathleen Dooling, Betsy Garris, Candy (Dale) Heagle and Helen Mansfield (dec). In laws are Joan Gunn, Patty Lonergan and Chuck (Linda) Hafner. On both the Caveny & Hafner side a nice group of nieces & nephews are included in the family circle. In 1964 John moved to Vestal but maintained his Syracuse identity; family, friends, golf, and work kept him well connected. As a child John fell in love with basketball resulting in a lifelong affair with the game. The coaches, Bob Felasco at St. John the Evangelist in Syracuse's Parochial League and Tom Niland at LeMoyne were the best. The teammates and associates at both St. John's and LeMoyne formed the nucleus of his lifetime friends. The bonus of receiving a Jesuit education was priceless. In 1962 John was drafted by the St. Louis Hawks of the NBA. After college he continued to play top quality basketball thanks to Binghamton's Y League, great men and lifelong friends. To top it off in the 60s he coached St. Patrick's CYO teams. The 1967-68 CYO League champions added new friends, ten years younger and all men he was so proud to know for the rest of his life. The icing on the cake was announcing Binghamton University games with Roger Neel and most recently being in the gym with the Binghamton High School boys. In sports he was more a participant than a fan; the best games were ones he played on a baseball field, a basketball court or a golf course. Caddying at Onondaga introduced him to the game of golf and the people who play it. During his career as a salesman he appreciated everyone who worked at Marsellus; their hard work and skill resulted in a product which he proudly sold to funeral directors who in turn became his friends. Fortunate circumstances and good people are why he could say "my life has been the best." Three of those people, all of whom predeceased him, were Priest, Msgr. A. Robert Casey, Coach Bobby Felasco and friend Jerry Edsell. John's Christian faith gave him joy, contentment and strength. He thanked God daily for his many blessings. From 1984 to 2014 seventy-one (71) newborns knew his love; some for days, others for months. He considered it a blessing to be a small part of their lives and how he loved to nap with an infant in his arms. John was an accomplished athlete and was thankful that his children were blessed with talents similar to his but reflected in their individual interests. Family, friends and assorted groups benefited from his company with the resulting storytelling which brought much laughter & fun; he was quite the raconteur. He gifted us with laughter. A Funeral Mass will be offered at St. Vincent de Paul Blessed Sacrament Church, Clubhouse Road Vestal, Tuesday at 10 a.m. A reception will follow in Msgr. Giblin Hall at St. Vincent's Church. The family will receive friends at the J.A. McCormack Sons Funeral Home, 141 Main Street, Binghamton, Monday from 4 to 7 p.m. A gift to St. Vincent/BS parish Vestal, to LeMoyne College's DAA Scholarship fund @ lemoynedolphins.com/give which gives financial support to student athletes facing unforeseen circumstances, to a public library or to a cause of your choice could be a tribute to your memory of John.