Peter Conroy, former leader of the Shannon Rovers Irish Pipe Band, dies at 90

On the sizeable list of things Pete Conroy did in his life that might prompt one to say "Wait, back up, you did what?" he'd probably put heading up the Shannon Rovers Irish Pipe Band at the top.

That is, if you got him talking at all. He was a humble man of few words.

For years, when the group played "Amazing Grace" at venues ranging from parades to funerals and weddings, it was Mr. Conroy's bagpipe solo that began the powerful tune before his bandmates joined.

As the pipe major, or leader of the group, Mr. Conroy is credited with lifting standards of practice and play, driving the group to release an album, and helping it compete and win bagpipe competitions.

Mr. Conroy died Jan. 20 from natural causes. He was 90.

He was a member of the group for about 26 years before hand tremors forced him to give it up around the year 2002.

A few months before he died, Mr. Conroy's namesake son, Peter, reached out to the Shannon Rovers to see if a couple bagpipers might be able to come to the west suburban memory care facility where his father lived to help celebrate his birthday.

"The day came and I'm looking out the window of the recreation room with my dad and I couldn't believe it. There had to be 20 bagpipers and drummers and the color guard that all came," said Mr. Conroy's son.

"I invited other staff and patients at the facility to listen. And then they performed. And it was loud. And it was big. And I looked at my dad, who'd been in a wheelchair for the last year or so, and his fingers were moving as if he was playing the pipes. And dad was there in his glory, he understood the moment."

The pipes were his passion, a proud nod to his Celtic roots, but no day job, his family said.

Mr. Conroy was a geological engineer who helped design dams and reservoirs in places around the globe.

His travels filled up 25 passports — including a few Irish ones he used when flying to countries that might not have the warmest view of Americans.

His parents were first generation Irish Americans, which allowed him dual citizenship, and Mr. Conroy could easily slide in and out of an Irish brogue.

Upon return to the family's home in Elmhurst, his kids would mob him and wait with anxious joy to see what exotic trinkets he'd brought home for them. Items included Icelandic sweaters, a glass-encased tarantula and a blow gun.

His son, Peter, the recipient of the blow gun, recalled his father saying: "I had the option to get the dipped-in-poison darts, or just the plain ones — you got the plain ones."

He also once brought a parakeet home from overseas. It was a squawky pet for a time. Then it flew away.

Mr. Conroy was born July 30, 1935, in Chicago to Winifred and Peter Conroy. He was a Chicago cop. She ran the boarding house where the family lived in Garfield Park.

Mr. Conroy attended St. Mel High School and St. Joseph's College in Indiana.

In his 30s, married with three kids, he went back to school to earn a Ph.D. He took a three-week road trip to visit the schools he was interested in, camping in state and national parks along with his family.

He chose Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla and drove there in a U-Haul with his wife, kids and the family dog, which drank from a sloshing fish bowl that somehow still contained several guppies upon arrival.

While in Missouri, Mr. Conroy found time to buy an old Model A Ford for $400 from a Missouri farmer and restore it.

"I drove it to high school in the '70s, and I'd give it an ahooga as I pulled in," said his son, imitating the sound of its horn. "I looked like Eliot Ness."

After he earned his master's degree and moved back to Elmhurst, Mr. Conroy bought a Cessna airplane, joined a flying club and in 1999 he flew from Illinois to Alaska with a neighbor who was a United Airlines pilot.

He also learned to scuba dive, made wine in his kitchen and built a grandfather clock.

Mr. Conroy's wife, Jeanine Conroy, died in 2020. They'd been married for 63 years. She grew up across the street from Mr. Conroy.

He first saw the Shannon Rovers play at a wedding and became enamored. One of their members, Barney McCudden, a Scotsman with a thick accent, taught Mr. Conroy how to play.

Years later Mr. Conroy himself taught many future Shannon Rovers how to play the bagpipes.

"He's one of the reasons the Shannon Rovers are celebrating our 100th anniversary this year," said Brian Costello, the group's current pipe major.

The group leads the city's downtown St. Patrick's Day Parade before dispersing to perform at bars and events throughout the city.

"While making the rounds one year at Irish pubs, a drunk lady lifted his kilt because, well, you know that old joke about 'What's under the kilt?' But I was like 'That's my father!' I was ready to take her down," recalled his daughter Anne Margaret Peachey, with a laugh.

In addition to his son and daughter, Mr. Conroy is survived by another daughter, Mary Showers, as well as seven grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren.

Services have been held.