Daniel F. O'Leary

WEYMOUTH-Rev. Daniel F. O'Leary, OMI, 91, died at South Shore Hospital in South Weymouth, Massachusetts, on October 8, 2014. He was born on April 17, 1923, in Roxbury, Massachusetts, a son of the late Dennis J. O'Leary and Catherine M. (O'Connell) O'Leary and one of six children. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his brother, Dr. John J. O'Leary; his sister, Cathleen Battles; his brother, Charles T. O'Leary, Esq.; and his sister, Sr. Edmund Marie (Anna) O'Leary, GNSH.
He was educated at Boston Public Latin School and Holy Angels Collegiate Institute in Buffalo, New York. He held a Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy from Oblate School of Philosophy, Newburgh, New York and a Master's Degree in Theology from Oblate College in Washington, DC. He went on to earn both a Master's and a Doctorate in Education Administration from the University of Buffalo.
In 1943, he entered the Oblate novitiate in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, professed his first vows there in 1944, followed by perpetual vows in Essex, New York, in 1947. He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Arsene Turquetil, OMI, in Washington, DC, on May 29, 1950.
Fr. O'Leary spent most of his years working in education, primarily in Washington, DC, and New York State. He worked at Bishop Fallon High School in Buffalo from 1952 to 1962 as a teacher, then as assistant principal and again from 1968 to 1974 as principal. He was on the adjunct faculty for graduate and undergraduate education at Mount St. Joseph Teacher's College in Buffalo. From 1964 to 1968, he served on the Evaluation Teams of Middle States Associations for Colleges and Secondary Schools. This was one of six regional accreditation organizations dedicated to educational excellence and improvement through peer evaluation and accreditation. He served in Washington, DC, from 1952 to 1968 as the Provincial Director of Education for the former Eastern U.S. Province of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate.
From 1972 to 2010, Fr. O'Leary resided at Holy Angels Parish in Buffalo, a parish staffed by the Missionary Oblates. During this time he worked at Niagara University in many capacities including Dean of Special Programs, Dean of Education and Continuing Studies, Dean of the College of Education, Director of the Graduate Council and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Fr. O'Leary held many professional and academic association memberships, made many contributions to the media on the topics of religion and education including both radio and film, authored numerous publications on various topics and received many prestigious honors and appointments. The mayors of Niagara Falls and Buffalo each awarded him a key to their city.
In 2005 Fr. O'Leary retired from academia and joined the Pastoral Care Staff at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo as a certified chaplain. In December of 2010, due to declining health, he retired fully and joined the community at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Residence in Tewksbury. He later transferred to the Weymouth, Massachusetts, area to be closer to family.
In addition to his Oblate family, he is survived by a sister, Rita Toland, of Weymouth; by many nieces and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, and great-grandnieces and great-grandnephews; and by special friends including Michael and Barbara Davis, of Sarasota, Florida, and Buffalo, New York; and Dave and Pat Boreanaz, formerly of Buffalo, New York.