James “Jim” Joseph O’Leary, 59, of Wellston, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Friday evening, August 8, 2014 at Edgewood Manor of Wellston. He was born in Wellston on October 7, 1954, son of the late Charles O’Leary and Dorothea “Dot” Allberry O’Leary.
He was a member of Sts. Peter & Paul Church of Wellston and a graduate of Sts. Peter & Paul School. He was a 1972 graduate of Wellston High School and a 1976 graduate of Ohio University, earning his degree in the fields of English and journalism. He also studied at Capital University for two years to earn certification as a paralegal and had most recently assisted a Columbus law firm. He was an avid reader and book collector, an avid Reds fan, and enjoyed any kind of music. He loved attending his family reunions with his nieces and nephews.
Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by three sisters, Rose Christian, Mary Ousley, and Rita Smith, and three brothers, Pat O’Leary, Paul O’Leary, and Charles O’Leary.
He is survived by five sisters, Peg (John) Smith of Columbus Grove, Ohio; Nancy O’Leary of Omaha, Nebraska; Donna K. Gray of Wellston; Sally (Joe) Mello of Portsmouth, Rhode Island; and Jan Metcalf of Germantown, Ohio; numerous nieces and nephews; and very close high school friends, Roger Barnhouse and Mark Colley.
The family invites friends to call at the Jenkins Funeral Chapel in Wellston on Tuesday from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 6 to 8 p.m. to pay respects. Services will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. at the Jenkins Chapel with Father Donald Maroon officiating. Interment will follow at Jim’s final place of rest in Ridgewood Cemetery in Wellston.
His sisters have requested that memorial contributions can be made in Jim’s memory to the American Heart Association, P.O. Box 163549, Columbus, Ohio 43216-3549, or to the American Cancer Society, 138 Marietta Road – Suite D, Chillicothe, Ohio 45601.