Senate Resolution No. 3161

BY: Senator PARKER

MOURNING the death of Dr. James Mahoney, revered
pulmonologist, respected colleague, loving father,
brother and son, and distinguished member of his
community

WHEREAS, There are certain outstanding citizens from this great
Empire State who, through their selfless commitment and significant
dedication, have served to better the quality of life in our communities
and have had a measurable positive impact on the lives of its residents;
Dr. James Mahoney was one such individual; and

WHEREAS, It is with great sorrow and deep regret that this
Legislative Body records the passing of Dr. James Mahoney, noting the
significance of his purposeful life and accomplishments; and

WHEREAS, Dr. James Mahoney, a lung specialist treating patients with
severe respiratory illnesses, of Freeport, New York, died on Monday,
April 27, 2020, at the age of 62, due to complications related to the
novel coronavirus; and

WHEREAS, The middle of five children to Oscar Mahoney, who served in
the United States Air Force, and the late Leila Mahoney, James grew up
in military housing in Bermuda and on Nassau's South Shore; and

WHEREAS, To his friends, he was affectionately known as Charlie, a
nickname one of his father's buddies gave him as a child; and

WHEREAS, A standout athlete, James Mahoney was the Captain of the
football team at Roosevelt High School; while taking classes at what was
then C.W. Post in Brookville, he took a job transporting patients at the
Long Beach Hospital; this was when he knew he loved medicine; and

WHEREAS, James Mahoney graduated from SUNY Downstate College of
Medicine, Class of 1986, and never left; he subsequently joined the
Internal Medicine Residency Training Program, completing it in 1989 and
was selected as one of the best residents to serve as Chief Resident
from 1989-1990; and

WHEREAS, Following that appointment, Dr. James Mahoney joined the
Pulmonary/Critical Care Fellowship, graduating in 1993; he then joined
the faculty of the Department of Medicine as Assistant Professor of
Medicine and was a constant and reliable provider of primary care,
pulmonary medicine, and critical care services to the community;
furthermore, he won numerous awards, including Teacher of the Year; and

WHEREAS, He was an exceptional internist, pulmonologist, and
critical care intensivist who served the Central Brooklyn community; his
expertise in lung diseases and critical care positioned him as one of
the most valuable physicians in the Department of Medicine; and

WHEREAS, Dr. James Mahoney was planning on retiring in January, but
then the pandemic hit; he knew the danger but did not hesitate to help
when he saw another human being in need; and


WHEREAS, He treated COVID-positive patients at SUNY Downstate and
NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County, and refused to take a day off or to
avoid close contact with his patients; and

WHEREAS, Dr. James Mahoney ran from crashing patient to crashing
patient, always at the bedside where it was most dangerous; he ran in
when others ran out and died doing what he loved to do best; and

WHEREAS, When he was not at a hospital caring for patients there,
Dr. James Mahoney was conducting telemedicine sessions with his regular
patients from home, making sure they were wearing masks and washing
their hands; and

WHEREAS, Well-respected and admired by both colleagues and patients,
Dr. James Mahoney's accomplishments are all the more notable as African
American doctors make up less than 5% of the physician workforce
nationwide; and

WHEREAS, If his patients were too sick or too busy to come to the
hospital for routine checkups, Dr. James Mahoney would willingly make
house calls; he not only healed people's bodies, he healed their minds
and their souls; and

WHEREAS, With a stellar reputation for being the best of the best,
Dr. James Mahoney was often referred to as University Hospital's
"Jay-Z"; an inspiration for students, particularly African American
students, he was a legend; and

WHEREAS, While in medical school, James Mahoney traveled to
California, where he met Lisa Johnson; the couple fell in love and
married in 1987 and had three wonderful children: Jamie, actor and
musician; Stephanie, law student at Howard University School of Law; and
Ryan, student at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School; James and Lisa
divorced in 2004 but remained close friends; and

WHEREAS, Dr. James Mahoney, who was a natural educator, constant
storyteller and jokester, loved baseball, casinos and cruises; each
year, he looked forward with great anticipation to his family cruise;
and

WHEREAS, A man of great faith and a heart of gold, Dr. James Mahoney
was indeed the embodiment of "Humanism in Medicine" in its finest form;
and

WHEREAS, In addition to his father and three children, Dr. James
Mahoney is survived by his two brothers, Dr. Melvin Mahoney (Mildred
Llanetta) and Ronald Mahoney; two sisters, Rutha "Sissy" Mahoney and
Saundra "Chick" (Douglas) Chisolm; and his girlfriend and life partner,
Dawn Havens; as well as numerous friends and colleagues who will long
cherish his memory; and

WHEREAS, Dr. James Mahoney was extremely kind and compassionate,
accepting, considerate, patient, generous, smart, and loving; he will be
deeply missed and truly merits the grateful tribute of this Legislative
Body; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Dr. James Mahoney, and to express its deepest
condolences to his family; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the family of Dr. James Mahoney.