Patrick O'Leary '71

Patrick O’Leary, 71, of Ridgway, Colorado, was born to Thomas and Agnes O’Leary in Chicago, Illinois on January 12, 1953. He passed away in Ridgway on March 29, 2024, after a brief illness.

Beloved husband of Martha (Marti) and loving father of Alex O’Leary (Amberley, Elle and Adi) and Katie O’Leary. Dear brother of Tom O’Leary ’68 (Susan Preuss O’Leary ’68), and Kathleen O’Leary ’69. Fond uncle of many nieces, nephews, grand nieces and grand nephews.

Pat grew up in West Chicago, Illinois, attending St. Mary’s grade school prior to enrolling at St. Francis. Pat’s passion for basketball began as a grade-schooler and continued in high school, playing all four years for St. Francis. Under Coach Don Saternus, Pat honed his skills and acquired the nickname of Pistol Pat for his shooting prowess. In fact, Pat, along with Cliff Carey ’71 and Bill White ’71 were three-peat champions of the SFHS Alumni 3-on-3 tournament in the 1980s. Pat continued to play hoops into his late 60s and was still a scoring threat!   

Pat attended DePaul University and made the Blue Demons men’s basketball team.  He  graduated with a B.A. from DePaul in 1975.

Pat was a retail regional manager for real estate developer LaSalle Partners, overseeing projects like the renovation of the historic Union Station in Washington, DC. He was hired as CEO of Landau & Heyman, a commercial real estate firm, in 1992, and later Pat and his long-time partner at L&H continued to work in commercial real estate, and redeveloped a historic Chicago building into student housing.

Pat volunteered with Jane Addams Hull House Association, an organization that helped his mother’s family in the 1930s. He worked tirelessly for Hull house and the people it served for 20 years, ultimately serving as chairman of the board. 

In 2005, Pat and his family relocated from Hinsdale, Illinois to Ridgway, and he engaged with his new community right away.  Pat’s love of the arts inspired him to become a board member for the Sherbino Theater, a historic 130-year-old-theater in need of restoration. He was instrumental in a capital campaign to restore the theater making it the heart of the community again. Pat even performed in musicals and plays in the restored historic theater.

Pat had a profound impact on his town. During the Covid pandemic, he co-created the Ouray County Response Fund through the Telluride Foundation that provided community members with a safety net. Pat and the fund’s co-creators were named the Telluride Foundation’s Citizens of the Year in 2020.

Pat loved the San Juan and Cimmaron mountains and the natural beauty near his home, and he encouraged his family and friends to visit often, so he could share it with them.  Patrick would take delight in planning skiing, hiking, and adventure trips to his favorite outdoor places for everyone who visited, creating lasting memories for his family and friends. An outdoor enthusiast, Pat summited Mt. Sneffles, the “Queen of the San Juan Mountains” and the range’s second-highest peak, several years ago. It was an athletic accomplishment that gave him great pride. 

Always open to new experiences and learning new things, Pat became a volunteer firefighter for the Log Hill Fire Department at the age of 60.  He served 10 years as a volunteer firefighter and just recently retired from the department.

Perhaps inspired by his fire fighting experience, Patrick embarked on his legacy real estate development project, purchasing and repurposing the historic 142-year-old Ridgway firehouse as the cornerstone for a new community gathering place in downtown Ridgway.

Pat loved the people of Ridgway and wanted to learn their stories rather than talk about himself.  A five-minute trip with Pat to his local post office could take an hour or more depending on how many people he wanted to talk to – and he talked to everyone!

Pat will be remembered for his love of family and friends as well as his kindness, generosity and philanthropy.

Pat will be dearly missed. A celebration of Pat’s life will be held in Ridgway, Colorado  in early Summer.