Patrick J. Rooney, son of late Steelers patriarch Art Rooney Sr., dies at 84
Patrick J. Rooney, one of the five sons of late Pittsburgh Steelers founder Art Rooney Sr. and the brother of longtime Steelers president and chairman Dan Rooney, has died.
Pat Rooney, who was born on Pittsburgh’s North Side and most recently had been living in Florida, was 84.
Born six years after the Steelers’ founding on March 7, 1939, Pat Rooney and twin brother, John, were the youngest of Art and Kathleen Rooney’s sons. The oldest, Dan, took over running of the team from his father but all five brothers carried an equal ownership share until a 2009 divestment.
“Like his twin brother John, who passed away in 2022, Pat grew up on the North Side of Pittsburgh and graduated from North Catholic High School,” read a statement posted by the Steelers. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) October 31, 2023
John Rooney died in December at 83.
The brothers followed their father into the horse racing business, which later extended into casino operations. With NFL bylaws at the time prohibiting gambling interest, Patrick joined brother Timothy in selling off their shares in the Steelers outright.
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“I know that I feel different maybe from some of my brothers,” Patrick Rooney told the Tribune-Review at the time of the divestment in 2009. “I wanted to do something for my estate planning.
“Ultimately, it wasn’t about the money. It was planning for my family. The money isn’t for me.”
Preceded in death by his parents and brothers Dan and John, Patrick is survived by wife Sandra Sully Rooney and their seven children, several grandchildren and one great grandchild.
According to an online posted obituary, in lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Tunnels to Towers Foundation. A Mass and funeral for Rooney are planned for Saturday in West Palm Beach, Fla.
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Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.
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