John Covaney Obituary

Christina....I am so sorry for your loss. Your father was a wonderful man, a dedicated professional and a very proud father. Deepest sympathy, Karen Guthrie Videtic (VCU Fashion)

I worked with John during his long and distinguished career in the Virginia Port. During that time his children were growing up and I remember John was always proud of their accomplishments. All the while John, I and others busied ourselves making the Port a world class force in international trade. Many may not know that John travelled the world promoting the Port. He was tireless in his pursuit of every opportunity. None were too small or too large for his attention. This effort took him to the far reaches of the world. John's travels took him to every country in Europe and the Far East. His frequent flyer miles could fund most on a trip anywhere. I remember a trip he planned for himself and me which went like this: Norfolk to Seattle, then to Hong Kong then to Beijing, bus ride to Tianjin, then to Tokyo , back to Hong Kong for a connecting flight to Singapore, Then to Hamburg and on to London. We had meetings of importance in everyone of these cities often followed by dinners hosted by us for our customers. On our visits to Chile we learned the Chileans don't have dinner until 11:00 pm. No wonder I have acid reflux. Its all John's fault - but, back to London. John had booked the flights for us and at the time United Airlines was including a return leg on the Concorde from London. What an experience and reward for the longest 10 days of my life. But that was the way John approached life. He always knew the best restaurants and introduced me to what I consider the finest restaurant in the world Gaddi's in the Peninsula Hotel Hong Kong. In every location John introduced me to the top executives of every major steamship line in the world with whom he had personal and respected relationships. He travelled to the Scandinavian countries and all over South America. Regardless of where we were if it included a weekend he would always include Mass on Sunday. I know this for certain. He loved his family and like all good Italian boys he revered his mother. On trips to New York he made every attempt to visit his mother who at the time was living alone in New Jersey. We lost track of one another until I retired and found John for another favorite meal together - "Sushi". John knew how to order Sushi and find the best sushi restaurants in Tokyo. We ate Sushi and reminisced about our remarkable careers together. Like all good friends who haven't seen each other in almost a decade it was if we just returned from some far off place. We never missed a beat and the discussions always returned to the importance of his family. I loved John for his many accomplishments and his ability to find joy in life and happiness wherever life took him. Be proud of your families, love them, spend time with them, and enjoy life as John did.

For those of us who knew John here at the Virginia Port Authority, we were so very sorry to learn of his passing. God bless John's family through this very sad time.

Sharon, our prayers and condolences to you and your family. John was a good man.
Dina and Gary

Rest in peace with our Lord till we meet again. Thank you for the 2 most precious gifts you gave me, our children Michael and Christina.

His love for his son, Dr. Michael Covaney,(and wife Dr. Sharon Cole Covaney)their two children, Jason and Jocelyn, and his daughter Christina Covaney Burton,(and husband Sgt.Richard Burton) and their daughter.
Rest in Peace, John.

Sorry For Your Loss!