Thomas O'Leary

O'LEARY--Thomas H., of Saratoga, WY died peacefully on April 28, 2009 at the Eisenhower Medical Center, Palm Springs, CA. The son of Arthur J. and Eleanor Howard O'Leary of New York City, Tom was born on March 19, 1934. After graduating from Holy Cross College in 1954, Tom joined the Marine Corps where he served as an aviator and achieved the rank of Captain. In 1961, Tom received an MBA from the Wharton School of Finance. Tom joined the Missouri Pacific Corporation as Assistant Treasurer in 1965. By 1974, Tom had become President of the company and served on its Board of Directors. He joined Burlington Northern, Inc. in Seattle in 1982 as Vice Chairman and was a Director of BNI from 1982 to 1992. Tom was elected President and CEO of Burlington Resources, Inc. in 1989 and Chairman of the Board in 1990. He retired from BRI in 1997. He was also a director of The Kroger Company and BF Goodrich. Tom is survived by his wife, Cheryl Westrum O'Leary, by five of his six children by his previous marriage: Timothy M., Thomas H., Denis A., Daniel G., and Mary Frances and by his sister, Susan. His eldest son, Mark E., died in March of this year. The funeral Mass will be said at 11am on Tuesday, May 5 at St. Ann's Church, Saratoga, WY, followed by burial at Saratoga Cemetery. Memorial Masses are scheduled at 11am Thursday, May 7 at Sacred Heart Church, Palm Desert, CA and 10am on Friday, May 15 at Annunziata Catholic Church, St. Louis, MO. Instead of flowers, contributions may be made to the College of the Holy Cross, Worchester, MA, the Wyoming Stock Grower's Agricultural Land Trust, Cheyenne, WY and Rescue Me Dog, Saratoga, WY.