Rensselaer- Robert J. O’Leary died following a brief illness on November 16, 2016. Robert
“Bob” was born in Cohoes, NY on November 13, 1920, to Lawrence J. O’Leary and Annabelle (Leonard) O’Leary. Bob graduated from Nott Terrace High School and worked after-school jobs, and still found time to excel in sports through high school, notably football and boxing. Bob married Jean Towner in 1940, and settled in Saratoga. Bob began work for General Electric in Schenectady, and then entered the Army Air Force. Bob proudly and honorably served his country during the WW II, a significant portion of which was in Britain, and received an honorable discharge following his return from the War. Bob’s family is familiar with his experience of riding a crowded troop train from North Dakota to Albany where he received his discharge.
Bob and Jean’s son, Robert Jr., was born in 1946. Bob enjoyed coaching his son’s Little League team. During Bob’s GE career, which spanned more than 40 years, he moved into a lead and then supervisory role in one of GE’s calibration labs, supporting a number of GE business departments. During the latter years of Bob’s career, and some years after Jean’s death, Bob married Emma (Albert) O’Leary in 1973. He admirably filled the role of husband and as a father to Emma’s 3 children and later to their 5 children as the only grandfather the children have ever known.
Included among many of Bob’s interests were aviation, golfing, skiing, military history, sports, traveling, cars, playing the harmonica, spending summers at the cabin in Maine and attending many of his grandchildren’s activities.
Bob is pre-deceased by: his first wife Jean; his second wife Emma; his son Bobby and daughter-in-law Roseanne; his sisters Kathleen, Marion, Evelyn, and Theresa; and his boyhood friend, Bob Lomasney. He is survived by: his best friend, Joan Muir; sister Bernadette (Ed) Becker; grandsons Christopher, Patrick, and Sean O’Leary; sister-in-law Alfrieda Lomasney and niece Carol Richmond; stepchildren Don (Linda) Albert, Marj (Dave) McClure; and Cindy (Doug) Metzger; grandchildren Tom (Tara) Albert, Shelley (Todd) Shugarts, Amber Hills, Becky (Damien) Leibold, and Ashley (Adam) Hannick; and great grandchildren Rachel and Kate Shugarts, George and Josie Albert, Emma and Sophie Hills.
Funeral from the W.J. Lyons Jr. Funeral Home 1700 Washington Avenue Rensselaer, Monday at 12PM. All are welcome to attend. Relatives and friends are invited and may call to the funeral home prior to the service from 10-12 PM. Interment will be in Albany Rural Cemetery, Menands.