Board Laura Marie (Cantois) Rooney, RN, passed away on Tuesday, October 30, 2007.  Known and beloved simply as 'Marie' by the BVCA family, she had been a cardiac nurse par excellance since the group's inception and served as its Practice Coordinator.  Until recently, Marie could be seen buzzing through Brandywine Hospital--a familiar figure to hospital patients and staff--who knew her as a 'go-to' gal.  She possessed nursing and organizational skills that made her an invaluable staff member: the docs knew that Marie's presence during rounding could be counted on to lighten their loads!  To the patients, their families, and their friends her kind support made her a pillar of the local community.

Married to Joseph A. ('Jay') Rooney in the mid-1990s, together they loved to travel, attend the theater, dine out, see movies, and cheer at their favorite sporting events.  Jay gave Marie unflagging support as her physical strength waned, applying his engineering skills to their home so she could stay active and involved.

A 1961 graduate of Coatesville Senior High School, Marie attended the Coatesville Hospital School of Nursing and worked as a nurse in New York City in the early 1960s, before joining Brandywine Valley Cardiovascular Associates.  In her memory, contributions may be sent to the Brandywine Health Foundation's Nursing Scholarship Fund (Coatesville Hospital School of Nursing's successor), founded by BVCA's loyal Cardiac Rehab family, at 50 South First Avenue, Coatesville, Pennsylvania 19320.