John Donald Tierney December 2, 2019 J. Donald Tierney, of Morristown, NJ, died Monday December 2nd surrounded by his loving family. Born January 24th, 1935 in Staten Island, NY to John and Adelaide (O’Brien) Tierney. Donald was a graduate of Augustinian Academy where he was a star basketball player. He carried that love of basketball through his life and was an avid Wildcat basketball fan. He was a proud graduate from Villanova University, an honor he shares with two of his daughters and four of his grandchildren. Go cats! He earned his degree in Chemical Engineering in 1957. At Villanova, Donald was in the NROTC program and was honored to serve his country as a Marine, stationed at 29 Palms. Donald then attended Fordham Law School where he graduated first in his class in 1963. Donald began his legal career as a patent attorney with Adam, McLean & Boustead. He then joined United States Aviation Insurance Group, where he was Executive Vice President, Head of Claims. He was Manager of Claims Litigation for High Profile Claims for American International Group. His expertise in structured settlements allowed him to lead AIG through the intricacies of the 9/11 Super Fund and the company’s most complicated claims. He then joined Cozen O’Connor as Of Counsel until the end of his career. Everyone who knew Don respected him because he was soft-spoken, a tireless worker and, most importantly, a true gentleman. He earned the respect of everyone who worked with him at AIG as well as hundreds if not thousands of lawyers with whom he dealt every day. Donald was not only a gifted litigator, but beyond that he was mentor and loyal advocate for many young attorneys. He left an indelible mark on the world of claims litigation Donald was a highly respected member of the Dispute Resolution Institute (DRI) and American Bar Association. He was admitted to the Bar in New York, New Jersey, and Washington D.C. He also dedicated much of his life to his faith, and was a daily communicant at Our Lady of Victory in Lower Manhattan and Assumption Church in Morristown, NJ. Donald was an enthusiastic skier, golfer, and gardener. He was a devout Catholic and family man. It was important to him to instill a framework of faith for his children and grandchildren. Donald was most happy spending time with his family at the beach, on the slopes, and sometimes camping, most often with a New York Post in his hand. Donald is survived by his loving wife of 62 years, Barbara Crane Tierney, his sister Barbara Campbell, his children J. Donald Jr. and Mary Ellen Tierney, Erin and Robert Plante, Patrick and Denni Tierney, Tara and Richard Ramsey, Kelly and Richard Dyke, Christopher and Peggy Tierney; fourteen grandchildren, David (Sarah) Schulte, Kellie (Brian) Zahn, Alice, Timothy, and Owen Plante; Kaleigh, Shane, and Caden Tierney; Noreen, Molly, and Maura Ramsey; Kiley, Jack, and Alexis Dyke. As well as his Great grandchildren, Trevor and Carter Schulte, and many loving in-laws, nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents Jack and Adelaide Tierney, his brother James Tierney, his In-laws Henry and Alice Crane and his adored nephew Ryan Crane. Don was a character! He was crazy about his wife, children and grand-children. He was a true American and always a Marine. He had a heart of gold. His sharp wit and sense of humor was matched only by crisp twinkle in his blue eyes. He was a wonderful husband, father, brother, uncle, grandfather, and a loyal friend.There was no-one better to have on your side. He will be greatly missed. Services for Donald will be held at the Doyle Funeral Home in Morristown NJ, on Sunday, December 8th from 4:00pm-8:00pm. A funeral mass will be held at Assumption Church on Monday, December 9th at 10:00am. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Donald’s name to the Augustinian Fund https://www.augustinianfund.org/donate or the Discalced Carmelite Nuns, 189 Madison Ave, Morristown, NJ 07960.