Franklin O'Leary

Franklin Hayes O’Leary, JD, 93, passed away in the company of his loving children on June 8, 2016.  He was born in Kansas City, Missouri, October 15, 1922. He graduated from Rockhurst High School, and earned a BA in Philosophy from Rockhurst College, excelling at debate and oratory. When World War II hit, Frank served his country as Ensign and later Lieutenant (JG), first as commander of a landing craft at the Battle of Anzio, and later in the radar division on the USS Nevada in the Western Pacific, participating in the Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and the East China Sea campaigns.  After the war ended, Frank went to the University of Michigan Law School, and met the love of his life, Mary Jane Kelly.  In 1950 they married, moved to Leawood and later, Prairie Village. They were married for 63 years, raising seven children.  Frank was a partner in O’Leary and O’Leary law firm in Kansas City with his father.   He was a lifelong walker, nature lover, and dog enthusiast. His children remember him mowing the lawn in his business suit.  His neighbors in Prairie Village remember him coordinating the planting of hundreds of trees in Town and Country Estates, transforming a cow pasture into a beautiful community. In his later years he became an avid singer, belting out “When Irish Eyes are Smiling” to anyone who would listen.  Frank is preceded in death by his wife, Mary Jane, his father, Frank J. O’Leary, his mother, Mary Edna Heflin O’Leary, and his sisters Laurelle O’Leary, Patricia O’Leary Piekarski, and Rosemary O’Leary Hornbeck, and great-grandson Patrick Joseph Beier.  He is survived by his sister Dolores O’Leary Murphy Casey; brothers-in-law Bob (Ann) Kelly and Dan (Rosemary) Kelly; and sister-in-law Margaret Kelly; and his children, Mary Ellen, Jim (Anne), Rosie (Larry), Molly (Frank), Eileen (Doug), Kathleen (Scott) and Amy (John); grandchildren Zoey, Leanne, Nate, Meghan, Erin, Emily, Katie, Ryan, John, Kelly, Calvin, Grace, Sarah, Thomas, and Julia; and great-grandchildren Moira, Henry, and Genevieve.  Visitation will be Sunday, June 12, 3-5 pm at Johnson County Chapel, 11200 Metcalf. Funeral is Monday June 13, 10 am., Cure of Ars Catholic Church, 9401 Mission Road. Burial is at Resurrection Cemetery, 8321 Quivira.  The family thanks Senior Care Homes, particularly the staff of the Waveny House, for their kindness and expert care of Frank for the last two and a half years. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Frank’s name to the Memories in the Making Project of the Alzheimer’s Association, Heart of America Chapter. Fond memories and condolences may be left at www.johnsoncountychapel.com.

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