Obituary of George Lawrence MacInerney

George L. MacInerney MacInerney, George L., 85, passed away peacefully at his home in Elmira Heights, with loving family members by his side, on Saturday, December 17, 2011. George was a man of devout faith and selfless up to the time of his death. He was born on March 9, 1926, the son of George L. and Charlotte (Blazinski) MacInerney. George served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After service to his country, George attended Fordham University in the Bronx, New York where he received his Bachelors Degree. It was in the Bronx where he met and married the love of his life, Claire (McCarthy) MacInerney. George and Claire returned to Elmira where they raised their family and where George enjoyed a long and successful career in banking. George retired as an Assistant Vice President of Marine Midland Bank. Restless in his retirement, George returned to work for several years at State Line Auto Auction in Waverly, NY. He was an avid photographer and loved to work in the garden. George cherished time spent with his family and especially enjoyed the long drives he and Claire would take to enjoy the beauty of the Southern Tier. George is survived by his wife of nearly 59 years, Claire McCarthy MacInerney; daughter, Terry Taggart-Cerio and husband, Jay Cerio of Hammondsport with their children Melissa Hannan, Amanda (Tanner) Webb, Caitlin (Justin) Vose, Ben Cerio and Anna Cerio; son, John MacInerney of Chicago, IL with his son, Kevin MacInerney; son, Michael MacInerney of Oneonta, NY with Julie Colunio and his children Sean MacInerney and Sklyer Selfridge; daughter, Tricia Babcock of Elmira, NY (Richard Babcock) and their children, Katy O'Herron (Bill VanDewark), Abigail and Kyle Babcock; daughter, Anne MacInerney of Elmira Heights with Brian Kennedy and her children Stephanie MacInerney and Andrew O'Geen; great grandchildren, Kaleb, Sequoia, Olivia, Jameson, Isabella, Mason, Blake, Cooper, Anna and Bryce. George was predeceased by his son, Kevin and his daughter, Beth Ann. He is also survived by sisters-in-law, Joan Ninivaggi, Suzanne Duffy, Mary McCarthy and Christine McCarthy; special cousins, the Blash family; several other cousins, nieces and nephews; and, his canine companion Teddy. Family and friends are invited to McInerny Funeral Home, corner of W. Water and Walnut Streets, on Wednesday, December 21, 2011 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. in St. Mary's Church, Elmira. Long time family friend Father Robert MacNamara, who also married George and Claire, will preside at the funeral mass. Military honors will be accorded to George outside of church after the funeral mass. Donations in memory of George may be made to Southern Tier Hospice, 11751 East Corning Rd, Corning NY 14830. "We do not exist for ourselves"…. Thomas Merton