Emily O'Leary

1934 - 2024

Emily O'Leary
08/16/1934 - 12/02/2024
Emily H. O'Leary, of San Rafael, California, passed away on December 2, 2024, at 90 years of age after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. Emily was an extraordinary wife, mother, grandmother and friend. Her disease robbed her of much these last few years, but her passing still leaves a large void and she is very much missed.
Born on August 16, 1934, in Flushing, New York to John Gerald and Emily Walsh Higgins, Emily attended St. Andrew Avellino Catholic School before enrolling at St. John's College (now University), intending to study Biology. But she fell in love with John F. (Jack) O'Leary, and because he was leaving the New York area to attend Officer Candidate School for the US Navy in Newport, Rhode Island, Emily left college before completing her degree and they married on July 16, 1955. Jack's Navy career meant many frequent moves, and during these years she endeavored to grow, learn and contribute in myriad ways: she became fluent in Spanish while living in Madrid, taught second grade in Panama, took painting lessons, and all the while tended to their only child, Denise, while Jack traveled extensively. Her love of animals and nature was with her throughout her life. After Jack retired from the Navy, they settled down in San Rafael, California. Emily went back to school to study library science, and then became the librarian at Del Mar School in Tiburon, California, for many years, beloved by staff and students alike. During this time, she also took up quilting, and her many pieces are treasured family heirlooms.
Emily is survived by Denise O'Leary (Kent Thiry) of Cherry Hills Village, Colorado, her two grandchildren, Matt Thiry (Katie) of Mill Valley, California and Christina Thiry of Denver, Colorado. Additionally, she has two great grandchildren, Wilder and Nina Thiry. Her husband Jack preceded her in death as did her three sisters: Therese Higgins, Jean Aumuller, and Margaret Garcia.
The family would like to thank Emily's caregivers, without whom her last years would have been vastly inferior. Patricia Kauffman was an angel in our midst, seeing to and organizing the many aspects of Emily's care. Naaz Nisha provided unconditional support. Their love, devotion and compassion knew no bounds. Emily's physician, Dr. David Ogden, also deserves special mention as a trusted and empathetic advisor to Emily, her family and the care team. Dr. Mary DeMay, of the UCSF Memory and Aging Center, made this journey significantly less scary for Emily as her condition progressed.
A funeral mass will be held at St. Patrick's Church, Larkspur, California, at 10 am on Monday, January 6, 2025. A private burial will follow immediately afterwards. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Emily's memory to the Marine Mammal Center of Sausalito, California.