Raymond M. Tierney Jr.

Raymond Moran Tierney Jr., longtime resident of both Little Silver and Shrewsbury NJ, passed away peacefully at home, on September 19, 2017.

Ray was born to Alice and Raymond Tierney Sr., in Brooklyn NY, on August 1, 1932. The oldest of 5 children, he graduated from Brooklyn Preparatory High School and Notre Dame University, where he graduated cum laude. He also served his country honorably as a 1st. Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. during the Korean War.

Ray began his professional career at the Hanover Bank in NYC while at the same time attending evening sessions at the Fordham University Law School, graduating at the top of his class.  This was to be the first chapter in what would become an incredible career and journey in the practice of law. Next up, he became a law secretary in 1967 for the Supreme Court in the State of New Jersey. In 1969, he joined the prestigious law firm of Shanley and Fisher, located in both Newark and Morristown, where he rose to become a senior partner and nationally known Civil Trial Attorney specializing in Aviation Defense and Medical Device Litigation. While at Shanley & Fisher, he was mentored by the likes of Bernard Shanley and Frederick Lacey. He was admitted to the Bars of New Jersey, New York, Florida, The District of Columbia, The Supreme Court of the United States as well as a number of Federal District courts around the country. He retired from Shanley & Fisher in 1999.

Along the way, he found the time to participate and give back to so many groups. He was a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers (a prestigious organization open to less than 2% of all trial lawyers in the United States), a life fellow of the American Bar Foundation, former President of the Trial Attorneys of New Jersey, and former Chair and President of the NJ State Bar Foundation.  Ray loved to teach and share his craft, leading him to become a lecturer on Trial Practice at the Trial Advocacy Institute at the University of Virginia. He was also a barrister/lecturer of the William J. Brennan Inn of Court at Montclair State College. He was also a former trustee and regent of St. Peter’s College in Jersey City, where he was made an honorary alumnus. Lastly, he became an adjunct professor at the graduate Business School of Monmouth University.

Over the years, Ray received several awards and notoriety for his work and his achievements, among them was being named the recipient of the St. Thomas More Medal from Seton Hall Law School, as well as the distinguished Alumnus award from Fordham University School of Law. Ray was named one of the outstanding Trial Lawyers of New Jersey, receiving the TRIAL BAR award from the Trial lawyers of New Jersey and throughout much of his career he was listed as one of the top trial lawyers in the United States in the ‘Best Lawyers in America’ publication.

Locally, Ray was a former member of the Board of Adjustment for the Borough of Shrewsbury as well as an elected member of the town council. He was a 75 year member and former president and trustee of the Monmouth Beach Bath and Tennis Club and a member of Rumson Country Club. Ray was a former member of both John’s Island and Bent Pines Golf Clubs, located in Vero Beach, FL. He was an active member and communicant of the Church of the Nativity in Fair Haven.

Ray will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 61 years, Kathleen, his 5 children: Kathy Snyder(Craig) and Alicia Johnson(Doug) of Shrewsbury, NJ, Raymond 3rd(Diane) of Rye, NY, Michael of Shrewsbury, NJ, and Christopher(Sandy) of Eagle, CO, his 16 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. He is survived by his brother and twin, Richard, of Little Silver, NJ. He was predeceased by his sister Mary Alice Barry,  brothers, Bill and Jack Tierney.  While Family was his #1 focus and priority, he lived and breathed the US. Marine Corp. He enjoyed both playing some of the best golf courses in the world and watching golf with his sons and grandchildren, even having the good luck of a hole in one at Ballybunion, in Ireland. He was an ardent Notre Dame football fan as well as cheering on the NY Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers before they moved out west.

The arrangements for Raymond Tierney Jr., are as follows; There will be viewing from 4:00-8:00 pm. on Friday the 22nd of September at the John E. Day Funeral Home located in Red Bank, New Jersey. There will be a funeral mass on Saturday the 23rd of September at 10:00 am to be held at the Church of the Nativity in Fair Haven, New Jersey.

In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation to the web address below, in his name, to the Marine Corp. Scholarship Foundation, whose mission is to honor marines by educating their children, www.mcsf.org. 

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