COUNCIL #3492 - FR. MCKEVITT COUNCIL REMEMBERS |
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Michael O'Leary, 67, of Richland Center, died Friday, June 23, 2017 as the result of a motorcycle accident. He was born on October 23, 1949, the son of Joseph and Marjorie (Birno) O’Leary. Mike grew up in Plain, WI, where he and his friends roamed the hills, getting into mischief and counting on local cops to give him a pass because he was “Dr. O’Leary’s sonâ€. Mike graduated from River Valley high school in 1967. After graduation, he joined the United States Air Force, and was stationed in Italy and Misawa, Japan during the Vietnam War. He loved regaling friends and family with stories of his time there, and developed friendships that lasted his entire life. Upon his honorable discharge, he attended UW Richland, where he met his future wife Anne, and went on to attend UW Madison, where he received a degree in soil science and agronomy. Anne and Mike married in 1975, and returned to Richland Center in 1979, where he worked as an agronomist for Cenex Land O’Lakes for over thirty years. During that time, they had two children, and Mike was an active member of the community, serving on the Knights of Columbus, the Neighborhood Housing Services board, and the Richland Center School Board, among many other endeavors. In 2008, Mike helped his daughter Michelle realize her dream and the two of them opened Serenity House, an adult family home. He also took his love of biking indoors and became a certified spinning instructor at Stairway to Wellness. His dry sense of humor and willingness to lend a hand to anyone afforded him many friends. He could frequently be found at the Symons Recreation Center, having deep conversations in the whirlpool, biking the hills of Richland Center with anyone who would join, or kayaking the Pine River. He loved spending time with his grandchildren, and will be deeply missed by so many. |