Philip Albert O’Leary
1927-2020
Philip Albert O’Leary passed away peacefully in the
palliative care unit at the Saint John Regional Hospital on Sunday,
April 19, 2020. Born on April 8, 1927, he was the son of the late Hugh
and Annie (Fletcher) O’Leary. The youngest of 11 children,
he was the last living member of his immediate family. He was survived
by several nieces and nephews with whom he had many memorable,
fulfilled moments.
Philip never took anything for granted and enjoyed helping
others whenever he could. Philip’s heart has always been
open to the less fortunate. From the time he was a youngster, he would
stop along the railroad tracks on his way home from the former
Charlotte Street School and invite those who rode the boxcars and
camped out in a place called ‘Hobo Jungle’ to his home for a meal. His
parents never turned away these down-on-their luck men. He has never
taken anything in life for granted. Growing up during the Depression,
he knew others were hungry and homeless and it stayed with him
throughout his life. He always considered himself lucky to have a
place to eat and a bed to sleep in.
Philip graduated high school in1944 and went to the
University of New Brunswick where he studied forestry for a year. It
didn’t hold his interest so he left university and went to work at his
father’s grocery store “up the hill”. Always good at
sketching, he was hired by the Department of Lands and Mines as a
cartographer. After 16 years there, he left the job and for some time
he was unemployed but not without work. He volunteered with the Red
Cross, CHIMO and sat on the board for the Forest Hill Cemetery. Then
he accepted a position with the Canadian Legion as a bartender and
door attendant.
Retirement came in 1982 and Philip was happy to be able to
volunteer full time. He delivered food to the elderly through Meals on
Wheels, volunteered at York Manor, the Fredericton Community Kitchen,
and continued volunteering with the Red Cross and the CHIMO support
line. He had a wonderful human spirit that touched everyone he
met.
An avid sports person, he loved all sports and excelled at
bowling and baseball. He was inducted into the NB Sports Hall of Fame
for pitching with the Fredericton General Dairies. Philip continued to
play in a senior baseball league whose members were all over 80.
He was named the 2019 sportsman of the year for his bowling
league and continued bowling well into his 93rd
year.
Avid not just in sports, intellectually Philip enjoyed his
daily crossword puzzles. He excelled as a bridge player, having
learned as a child watching his parents play. He was a member of the
Kinsmen Seniors Bridge Club, the Royal Canadian Legion, and the K Park
Bridge Club in Rothsay.
He was a quiet, honest man of integrity who will be missed by
his many friends and family.
A Memorial Service will be held at the Christ Church Parish
Church, 245 Westmorland St, Fredericton, NB on Friday, July 10, 2020
at 2:00 pm. McAdam’s Funeral Home staff will be available to
aid in social distancing procedures. In lieu of flowers donations to
Red Cross Atlantic Division, Alzheimer’s society of NB,
Canadian Cancer Society, Bobby’s Hospice, or Waterloo
Village of Saint John would be appreciated by the family.
www.mcadamsfh.com
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Philip Albert O’Leary 19272020..
Death notice for the town of: Fredericton, Province: Nouveau-Brunswick