Obituary: William J. O’Leary

William J. O’Leary, at 90
William J. O’Leary, of Hull and a longtime resident of Cohasset, died Feb. 11, after suffering a stroke. He was 90.
Mr. O’Leary served with the U.S. Navy during World War II. He had a long and storied career with the U.S. Postal Service, beginning with the Railway Mail Service and retiring as a postal inspector with the Boston division. 
As a postal inspector, he investigated many and varied cases. His contributions toward solving one case, which involved the hijacking of a postal truck in metropolitan Boston and the shooting of an MDC police officer during the ensuing chase, are depicted in the book “ShotGunned,” written by that officer, Dana Owen. 
Mr. O’Leary met Patricia McDermott in Elmira, N.Y., and they were married in 1949. They raised a family of six children, volunteering their time and effort at Elmira Catholic churches and various civic organizations before relocating their family to Manchester, N.H., and then Cohasset. 
After his retirement, Bill, Pat, and their son Dan spent many years enjoying the company of family and friends on the South Shore, at Waneta Lake in New York, and in Englewood, Fla. 
Mr. O’Leary was predeceased by his wife, son Daniel, and an infant daughter, Eileen. He was also predeceased by his siblings, Mary Frances Field, John “Duke” O’Leary Jr., Ann Cady, and Majorie Tierney. He is survived by five children: Kathleen O’Leary, of Arlington, Va.; Maureen Christensen, of McLean, Va., Timothy O’Leary, of Rochester, N.Y.; Marianne Connelly of Elmira, N.Y.; and Elizabeth Fludder, of Hull; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Mr. O’Leary also leaves his sister, Jean Murray, and her husband, Robert, of Greensboro, N.C., as well as many loving nieces, nephews, and a host of caring friends.
Visiting hours will be from 8:30-9:45 a.m. on Thursday at McNamara-Sparrell Funeral Home, 160 South Main St., Cohasset. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. at Saint Anthony Catholic Church, 10 Summer St., Cohasset. Burial will be at Woodside Cemetery.
For an online guest book, please visit www.mcnamara-sparrell.com.