Marge Cooney - A Life Remembered
When we think about well-known figures from television, sometimes the people close to them, those who shared their personal lives, remain a bit out of the spotlight. This is quite true for Marge Cooney, a woman whose name became linked with the famed television host and producer, Phil Donahue. She was, in fact, his first wife, a person who shared a significant part of his life story before his later, very public marriage. Their connection began in college, a rather sweet start for a couple who would go on to have a family together.
Marge Cooney, or Margaret Cooney as she was also known, was more than just a name tied to a celebrity. She was a mother to five children, a central figure in her family's daily goings-on for many years. Her life, while not always in the public eye, held its own importance and quiet dignity, shaping the early family life of a media personality who would later become a household name. She was, you know, a very important part of those formative years.
While some parts of Marge Cooney's personal story, like her professional path, seem to be kept pretty private, what we do know paints a picture of a woman deeply connected to her family. Her story, in some respects, offers a glimpse into the personal side of a public figure's past, reminding us that behind every well-known person, there are often individuals who played a significant, if less visible, part in their lives. It's almost as if her quiet presence truly helped ground a very public individual.
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Table of Contents
- Marge Cooney - A Look at Her Life
- Who Was Marge Cooney, Really?
- What Was Marge Cooney Like as a College Sweetheart?
- Marge Cooney and Phil Donahue - Their Years Together
- How Did Marge Cooney Spend Her Later Years?
- Marge Cooney - Personal Details
- Marge Cooney - Her Children and Family Life
- Marge Cooney and Her Private World
Marge Cooney - A Look at Her Life
Marge Cooney, whose given name was Margaret Cooney, was a person who shared a considerable part of her life with a very famous individual. She was the first wife of Phil Donahue, someone widely recognized as a television host and a producer. Their shared life began when they became husband and wife in the year 1958. This happened not long after Phil had completed his studies at the University of Notre Dame. For more than ten years, they were a married couple, and during this time, they welcomed five children into their family. Their connection, you know, started quite early in their adult lives.
Their marriage, however, eventually came to an end. Marge Cooney and Phil Donahue went their separate ways in 1975, after being married for a good number of years. Despite this separation, she remained a significant figure in the lives of their children. Marge Cooney, it seems, generally preferred a life that was not very public, with much of her background and professional path remaining rather private. This is, in some respects, quite understandable for someone who was connected to such a well-known media personality.
Later in her life, Marge Cooney moved to Naples, Florida, and that is where she lived for several years. Her passing happened on February 2, 2018. At the time she left us, she was surrounded by her family members, which really points to the strong connections she had with her loved ones. She was 82 years of age when she passed away. Her story, then, is one that begins with a college connection, moves through a marriage with a famous figure, involves raising a family, and ends with her family by her side.
Who Was Marge Cooney, Really?
Marge Cooney was, in essence, the first person Phil Donahue chose to marry. She was his college sweetheart, a connection that began at their university. This relationship blossomed, leading them to exchange their marriage vows on February 1, 1958. They invited their close ones to be there for this important day. During their time as a married couple, they became parents to five children. However, their path together changed, and they eventually divorced in 1975. This marked a significant shift in their personal stories, you know, after a good long run together.
While many people associate Marge Cooney with her connection to Phil Donahue, information about her own life, separate from this marriage, is not very widely available. She seems to have been a rather private person. Details about her family background or what she did for a living are not commonly known. This quiet approach to her life suggests that she preferred to stay out of the public eye, even though her former husband was very much in it. She was, apparently, a parishioner of St. [The text mentions "St," but doesn't complete the name, so I will leave it as is to avoid adding context].
Her passing, which occurred on February 2, 2018, brought her story to a close at the age of 82. She was with her children and other family members during her final moments. This suggests that, despite the quiet nature of her public life, her family bonds were very strong and meaningful to her. Marge Cooney, therefore, stands as a figure known primarily through her marriage to a media personality, but her own life, while not extensively documented publicly, was clearly centered around her family. It's almost like she was a quiet force behind the scenes.
What Was Marge Cooney Like as a College Sweetheart?
From the information we have, Marge Cooney was the college sweetheart of Phil Donahue. This means their relationship started when they were both university students. They met, apparently, at the University of Notre Dame, which is where Phil graduated from. Their connection was a sweet one, a kind of love story that begins during those formative years of young adulthood. It was this early bond that led to their marriage shortly after Phil finished his studies in 1958. You know, it's a very classic way for a romance to begin.
Being a "college sweetheart" often suggests a youthful, perhaps innocent, connection that develops into something more serious. For Marge Cooney and Phil, this was certainly the case, as their university romance led to marriage and the raising of a family. This part of her story shows a more personal, less public side of her life, before Phil Donahue became the widely recognized television host. It's a glimpse into the early days of a significant relationship, a time when their lives were, in some respects, just beginning to take shape together.
Marge Cooney and Phil Donahue - Their Years Together
Marge Cooney and Phil Donahue tied the knot in 1958. Their marriage lasted for a considerable period, spanning over a decade, and then some. Specifically, they were married until 1975, which means their union continued for about seventeen years. During these years, they built a family, welcoming five children into their home. Their life together, in a way, represented the foundation of Phil Donahue's personal family story before his public career truly took off on a national scale. It was, you know, a very important chapter for both of them.
The family they created included four sons and one daughter. Their sons were Michael, Kevin, Daniel, and James, though James sadly passed away. They also had a daughter, Mary Rose. So, their home was, apparently, quite busy with many young ones running around. After their divorce in 1975, their children's living situations changed. Their four sons went to live with Phil in Chicago, while their daughter, Mary Rose, moved to Albuquerque with Marge Cooney. This indicates a shifting family dynamic after their separation, a very common outcome of such changes.
Phil Donahue's well-known talk show, "The Phil Donahue Show," ran for 29 years on national television. It began in Dayton, Ohio, in 1967 and later moved to New York City, running until 1996. So, Marge Cooney was married to him during the early and middle years of his very successful show. While her own professional life remains mostly unknown, her connection to such a prominent media figure during those years certainly placed her in a unique position. She was, in some respects, part of the story behind a major television personality.
How Did Marge Cooney Spend Her Later Years?
Marge Cooney spent her later years living in Naples, Florida. She had been residing there for several years before her passing. This suggests she found a place of peace and perhaps quiet enjoyment in her retirement. After her divorce from Phil Donahue, she did, in fact, return to her home state of New Mexico, and she also remarried. She then, in a way, retired from public view, choosing a life that was more private and away from the scrutiny that can come with being connected to a famous person. This was, apparently, a very deliberate choice for her.
Her passing on February 2, 2018, occurred when she was 82 years old. The information available tells us that she was surrounded by her children and her extended family during her final moments. This detail truly highlights the deep family bonds that were a part of her life, even in her later years. It suggests that despite her preference for privacy, her family connections remained strong and central to her existence. It's almost as if her family was her greatest treasure.
The fact that she chose to step back from public attention after her divorce and remarriage in New Mexico, and then later moved to Florida, paints a picture of a person who valued a more serene and personal existence. She was not someone who sought the limelight for herself, preferring instead to live a life that was, in some respects, more focused on her immediate surroundings and her loved ones. Her quiet passing, surrounded by family, seems to be a fitting end to a life that, for the most part, stayed out of the public eye.
Marge Cooney - Personal Details
Here's a quick look at some personal details we know about Marge Cooney:
Full Name | Margaret Cooney Donahue (also known as Marge Cooney) |
Known For | First wife of TV personality Phil Donahue |
Marriage Date | February 1, 1958 (or 1958, shortly after Phil's graduation) |
Divorce Date | 1975 |
Spouse (First) | Phil Donahue |
Children | Five (Michael, Kevin, Daniel, Mary Rose, James) |
Date of Passing | February 2, 2018 |
Age at Passing | 82 years old |
Place of Passing | Naples, Florida |
Residence (Later Years) | Naples, Florida |
Earlier Residence (After Divorce) | New Mexico (her native state) |
Marge Cooney - Her Children and Family Life
Marge Cooney and Phil Donahue had five children together during their marriage. They welcomed four sons and one daughter into their family. The sons were named Michael, Kevin, Daniel, and James. Sadly, James passed away at some point. Their daughter was named Mary Rose. So, their household was, apparently, quite a lively one with a good number of young ones growing up. This period of raising their children was, in a way, a central part of Marge Cooney's life for many years.
After their divorce in 1975, the family structure changed, as it often does. The four sons went to live with their father, Phil Donahue, in Chicago. Their daughter, Mary Rose, however, moved to Albuquerque with Marge Cooney. This shows a division in the children's living arrangements, with Marge continuing to have a very direct role in her daughter's life in New Mexico. It's almost as if they maintained a very close bond.
The information also mentions that Daniel Timothy Donahue, their third child, was born around 1961. Not much is known about Daniel, who was living in Connecticut as of 2013, according to Marlo Thomas, Phil Donahue's second wife. The fact that Marge Cooney was surrounded by her children and extended family at the time of her passing truly speaks volumes about the strong family connections she nurtured. It suggests that despite the changes in her personal life, her role as a mother and a family member remained very important to her until the very end. She was, you know, a family-first kind of person.
Marge Cooney and Her Private World
Marge Cooney is often described as a rather secretive person, with not much public information available about her life outside of her marriage to Phil Donahue. This includes details about her family background and what she did for a living, her professional path. It seems she preferred to keep these aspects of her life out of the public eye, which is quite a choice given her connection to a well-known media personality. This quietness, in some respects, makes her story a bit more intriguing, as we only get glimpses of her personal journey.
After her divorce from Phil Donahue, she returned to her native New Mexico and also remarried. This suggests she built a new life for herself, one that was, apparently, away from the constant attention that might come with being the former wife of a celebrity. She retired from public view, which truly highlights her desire for a more private existence. This deliberate choice to step back from the limelight really shaped the latter part of her life.
The fact that she passed away surrounded by her family in Naples, Florida, further emphasizes that her personal world, though private, was rich with close relationships. While her professional achievements or early family history are not widely known, her life was, in a way, full of meaning through her roles as a mother and a cherished family member. Her story, then, is one of quiet strength and a clear preference for a life lived away from the public gaze, very much on her own terms.
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