Christopher Patrick Sweeny

Christopher Patrick Sweeny, age 96, of Bayville, NY, and formerly of Wantagh and Babylon, passed away peacefully on November 28, 2025. He was born in Hankow, China, in 1929, where his father worked for Standard Oil and where his family lived happily until he was seven years old. At that time, they returned to the United States and settled in Freeport, Long Island. Chris never lost his abiding love and affection for all things Chinese, whether it be the people, the language, the customs, or the bartender at Kwong Ming. Upon returning to the United States during the Depression, Chris liked to remind his children that he went through high school with only one pair of pants and that those pants had been removed from a dead man. Those pants notwithstanding, he graduated from Chaminade High School in Mineola as President of the Senior class in 1947 and the school's best student-athlete. Chris went on to attend Fordham University, where he played football under Assistant Coach Vince Lombardi and graduated in 1951 as President of the Class. Shortly after graduation, Lombardi, by then coaching at Army, helped arrange a tryout for Chris with the New York Giants. In later years, Chris would proudly tell his children that the gold edge around his two front teeth marked the spot where the Giants had kicked them in during tryouts. Though he never played in the NFL, he remained a fervent fan of Lombardi and a passionate fan of football throughout his life. Chris joined ROTC while attending Fordham University and went on to serve as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, stationed in England. It was during this time that he met and fell in love with Virginia Bruton, also from Freeport. They married in 1951, raised four children together, and shared a loving 58-year marriage until her passing in 2010. Chris began his professional life at Chaminade, where he taught Shakespeare, coached football, and advised both the Drama and Speech and Debate Clubs. He later enjoyed a highly successful career on Wall Street before returning to Chaminade in retirement to coach and support fundraising efforts. Chris had a lifelong passion for coaching and mentorship, staying connected with faculty, students, and players from his Chaminade years and following their journeys long after the classroom and field. His love of Shakespeare also endured; he often brought joy to family gatherings and special occasions by reciting entire passages from memory. We were lucky to have him with us for so many years. He will be dearly missed by his four children and their spouses: Claudia (and Paul) Francy, Robin Sweeny, Chris (and Angela) Sweeny, and Patrick (and Michele) Sweeny, as well as his sister-in-law, Leslie Breakstone, seven grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. A family memorial service will be held in the spring. We will miss him all the days left to us. "Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince!"