Irish American Leader Joe Leary Dies in Boston at 90

-


Joe Leary in front of Boston Harbor Hotel (photo courtesy of Irish American Partnership)

Joseph F. Leary, a leader in Boston's Irish-American community since the 1980s, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family on September 18, at age 90. Preceded in death by his wife, Eileen (Sullivan) Leary in 1981, Joe is survived by his two children, Joseph of South Boston and Eileen and her husband Thomas Johnson of Boston and Harwich Port. 

Prior to attending Boston College, Joe served in the US Army as a Military Policeman out of Fort Jay in New York City, and worked for the Gillette Company in sales for nearly 30 years.

In 1988, the newly formed Irish American Partnership selected Joe as its president and CEO.  The non-profit organization, which was endorsed early on by House Speaker Tip O'Neill and others, with a mission to create a 'strong, healthy Ireland through economic development, job creation and education." Leary served as president for 28 years until his retirement in 2016, when he became president emeritus. 

The Partnership, run since 2016 by CEO Mary Sugrue of Cahersiveen, County Kerry, has raised over $56 million in support of educational and community organizations within Ireland since it was first formed. The Partnership has focused in particular on education funding rural schools that need it the most, particularly in the west of Ireland.

Mary Sugrue said in a statement,  “Today, we mourn the loss of a bastion of the Irish-American community and my close friend and mentor, Joe. It is hard to believe he is gone, but his dry sense of humor, quick wit, and unending love of Ireland will live on in our fond memories. My thoughts are with his family and friends as they celebrate the life of a dedicated and passionate ambassador for Ireland and irreplaceable member of the Boston Irish community.” Read full statement from IAP.

In 2015, Leary was honored at the Golden Bridges Awards in Boston sponsored by The Irish Echo.

Irish Echo Story on Golden Bridges Awardee Joe Leary

A Mass of Christian Burial is being celebrated in Our Lady of the Visitation Parish, Saint Elizabeth Church, 350 Reedsdale Road, Milton on Monday September 25 at 10 a.m. Visiting hours at Dolan Funeral Home, 460 Granite Avenue, East Milton Square, Sunday 3-6 p.m.. Interment Saint Mary's Cemetery, Canton. Relatives and friends invited. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Irish American Partnership or the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Joe's memory. To send the Leary family a condolence message, please visit www.dolanfuneral.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Declan Crowley is new Cultural Programming Manager at the Irish Cultural Centre of Greater Boston

-
Image
The Irish Cultural Centre of Greater Boston (ICC) has announced the appointment of Declan Crowley as its new Cultural Programming Manager. Declan's primary role will be to curate a diverse lineup of Irish, Irish-American, and Celtic artists to perform at the Centre throughout the year, from musicians, singers and dancers to writers, filmmakers, historians and artists, while catering to a wide audience of people who cherish Irish culture. Crowley brings a wealth of experience and artistic vision to his new role.  Originally from Burnt Hills, NY, he is an eight-time Regional, two- time National, and All-Ireland Champion Irish dancer, as well as a two-time silver and bronze medal holder at the World Championships and a NFAA youngArts™️ Silver Medalist in World Dance, Crowley began touring internationally with Michael Flatley’s “Lord of the Dance” in 2009, where he played the principal role of ‘Don Dorcha, the Dark Lord’ until 2013. While completing his B.A. in English at the College ...
Read more

General Edward L. Logan, Namesake of Boston's Logan International Airport

-
Image
General Edward L. Logan (1875-1939), namesake of Boston’s Logan International Airport , died on July 6 1939 from a sudden 'heart ailment.'  His brother, Reverend Leo J. Logan, presided over the funeral mass at the Gate of Heaven Church in South Boston, with tributes by leading politicians like Senator David I. Walsh , former Massachusetts Governor and Boston Mayor James M. Curley and former Mayor John F. Fitzgerald .  Logan is buried at the Calvary Cemetery in West Roxbury.  A first generation Irish-American, military leader, civic leader and municipal judge with family roots in Galway and South Boston,  Edward was the oldest of nine children of Lawrence and Catherine (O’Connor), according to Michael Cummings of Milton, an expert on the Logan Family. Edward’s father Lawrence immigrated to Boston from Ballygar, County Galway, in 1858, and became a successful businessman at a young age when he became president of the Boston Brewing Company in South Boston.  The ...
Read more

Boston's Irish International Immigrant Center now called Rian Immigrant Center

-
Image
The Irish International Immigrant Center, one of Boston’s leading immigrant advocacy groups for over three decades, has changed its name to  Rian Immigrant Center . Rian (Ree-Ann), the Irish word for path, honors the groups Irish roots while reflecting its inclusive mission of empowering immigrant and refugee families on the path to opportunity, safety and a better future for all. The Center’s new logo is inspired by the Giant's Causeway on the north coast of Ireland, natural hexagonal stones formed 60 million years ago by cooling lava. The symbol represents how the Rian Immigrant Center provides the support to chart a pathway forward. “Our work has never been in higher demand,” said  Ronnie Millar,  executive director of the Rian Immigrant Center. “In recent years that path has grown more difficult. Legal obstacles, bureaucratic thickets, even physical barriers obstruct the path to legal status and citizenship. Together with our public and private par...
Read more