Gerald Emil “Gerry” O’Leary lost his battle with cancer and passed away on February 13, 2024. He was 67.
The son of the late Daniel O’Leary and Stasia (Bednarz) O’Leary. Gerry was born on March 27, 1957 in Cornwall, NY and was a longtime resident of Newburgh.
Gerry was a kind and generous person with a quiet sense of humor who was admired and respected by everyone he met. He was extremely dedicated to his family and spent his much of his free time with them.
An alumnus of the historic Newburgh Free Academy, Gerry went on to earn degrees in nursing from University of Buffalo and electrical engineering from the Orange County Community College, respectively. During his undergraduate studies, Gerry moved home to care for his ailing parents. Perhaps, because of this life changing experience and the empathy he had for others, he decided to dedicate the next 40 years of his life to nursing and provided dedicated, compassionate care for hundreds of patients. During his long nursing career, he worked for the Archdiocese of New York at Saint Francis Hospital, Westchester Medical Center and Competent Care Nursing Services.
In his free time, Gerry was an avid and skilled skier and belonged to the National Ski Patrol. He had the opportunity to ski throughout New York, Vermont, and into Canada during his many years of skiing. He loved the “Big Camp,” the family property in Sullivan County where he spent the summers during much of his life, with his brothers, sister, cousins, nieces and nephews. He swam, waterskied, canoed and fished in nearby lakes and he hiked and hunted in the forested mountains. In his middle years, Gerry bought a cabin in the Catskills with his brother John O’Leary which they named “Peekamoose.” While there he enjoyed skiing and attending the concerts at Bethel Woods with John and his family.
Gerry was well read and had an interest in politics, history, business and the stock market, and he always had a keen eye for what was going on in the world. Filled with great empathy, he generously donated to a number of causes to help others. His was a life well lived with family and friends near and far, even as he waged a battle with cancer and other illnesses over the past few years.
He is survived by his sister Mary Lu Pool (O’Leary) of Milton, Delaware, brother Dan O’Leary of Newburgh, and sister-in-law Myra O’Leary of Farmingdale, NJ. He is also survived by his nephews, Jamie Pool and Sean O’Leary and his niece Kathleen Finn (O’Leary.) He is predeceased by his brother John.
A memorial service will be held at the Millspaugh Funeral Home at 22 Bank Street, Walden, New York, on Saturday, March 2. Visitation will be from 10 -11 a.m.with a service at 11:30.
There will be a private interment at Calvary Cemetery in New Windsor at a later date.
In lieu of flowers contributions can be made to the Hospice of Orange & Sullivan, 800 Stony Brook Court, Newburgh, NY 12550.
Arrangements were made by Millspaugh Funeral Directors.
For directions or condolences please visit millspaughfuneralhome.com