Gerald Edward McConney ’45

He entered Princeton from Upper Canada College in Toronto, and joined Dial Lodge. During World War II, Gerry saw combat in France, Austria, and Germany as a platoon commander with the 106th Cavalry Group, after nearly being killed at Fort Sill, Okla., during artillery observation training when a large shell fragment hit him in the nose. For his European combat service he was awarded the Bronze Star.  

Returning to Princeton, he majored in math and received his degree cum laude in 1947 as the winner of the George B. Covington Math Prize. Gerry became an actuary and an expert on crafting pension plans. He worked at Equitable of Iowa Life Insurance Co. in Des Moines and Standard Oil of California in San Francisco, and became a principal at what is now Pricewaterhouse-Coopers in Los Angeles.  

He was happily married to Polly Fagen for more than 50 years (until her death in 2001), and they traveled widely after his retirement. In addition to their children, Charles and Mary, Gerry is survived by his sister, Denny Clark, and four grandchildren. The class expresses its sympathy to the family.