James Allen O'Leary

LTC James Allen O’Leary (Ret.), age 77, passed away peacefully on September 19, 2024. James (Jim) was born on February 5, 1947 to his mother, Harriet Wright-O’Leary and his father, Charles J. O’Leary Sr. in Whittier, California. Unfortunately, his father passed away when he was three years old so the bond with his mother and two brothers, Charles and John, strengthened.

James was an extremely intelligent man and excelled in every challenge that was presented. After graduating High School, James attended the Southwestern State University, Durant, Oklahoma and received his BA in English. It was during this time he met his first wife, Joyce Adams, and settled down to start a family. However, in 1969, his life dramatically changed after receiving a draft notice from the U.S. Army. Soon after, he was inducted into the U.S. Army at the rank of Private.

In 1970, he attended Officer Candidate School (OSC) and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1971. From there, he rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel (05). During his military service, he held the Military Occupational Specialties of Tactical Intelligence, Counterintelligence, Signals Intelligence, and Electronic Warfare. He was stationed in various locations in the U.S. and spent 14 years overseas due to top secret operations. He often shared the story of being taken hostage by Turkish insurgents while stationed there. Accomplishments during his military career included his attendance at the Command General Staff College in 1985, the Naval War College in 1991, graduating with two Masters Degrees, being in Command of Counterintelligence Operations at the Pentagon, at the U.S. State Department and later at the White House under President George Bush Sr.

During his military service, James earned several meritorious awards including the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal (5), A/S Identification Badge, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal (2), National Defense Service Medal with 1 Bronze Service Star, Good Conduct Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and the Overseas Service Ribbon (5). After retiring from the military in 1994, he then worked for Island Mortgage on the island of Oahu for several years.

He returned to the “mainland” in 1998 and settled in San Antonio, Texas to be around his children, Patricia, Jana, and Paul, who all resided in Texas. He later moved out West to the booming oil town of Midland, Texas. Shortly after he met his second wife, Yevgeniya Olegovna O’Leary, and married in December 1999. They soon had his fourth child, Lauren, in 2004. After many years of enduring the dust storms and the tumbleweeds of West Texas, James and his family moved south and settled in The Woodlands where he resided until his death.

James was also a proud member of the Choctaw Nation. His grandfather, Allen Wright, was the elected Principal Chief of the Choctaw Nation from 1866-1876 and is credited with suggesting the name of the Indian Territory be called Oklahoma, which is a Choctaw word meaning, “land of the red people”. His mother, Harriet Wright O’Leary James ran for the role of Chief of the Choctaw Nation and came in third among a dozen candidates. James was very proud of his mother being the first woman elected to the Choctaw Council.

In his younger years, James was an avid runner, often running 5-10 miles a day. He completed several Honolulu Marathons. He would often tell the story of running up Diamond Head Volcano on the island of Oahu and that he conquered the difficult terrain by telling his legs that they could not quit.

James would want to be remembered for his love of family and history. He had a passion for his culture and was an avid collector and researcher of family memorabilia and history going back before the Mayflower. At the time of his passing, he was assisting in the expansion of his family tree on his father’s side. James also loved fast sports cars, music by the beach boys, Snickers and diet cokes. Anyone that knew James, can vouch that he loved to talk about his many adventures in life. It is predictable that he is in Heaven sharing stories of his time in the military and of his family's history and rich culture-all while drinking a diet coke and eating a Snickers.

He was proud of his children. His daughter, Patricia Lynn Jones, works at a Senior Living Center in NorthWest Texas. His son, Paul Andrew O’Leary, is a Medical Doctor, Internist, in the Kingswood, Texas area. His daughter, Jana Michelle Seay, is an Army Veteran and holds a Masters in Social Work and a Masters in Business Administration. His youngest daughter, Lauren Elizabeth O’Leary, is an aspiring model in the Houston area. He is survived by his spouse, three daughters, his son, grandchildren, brother, cousins, nieces and nephews, and former spouse. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Charles. He will be truly missed.

A visitation for James will be held Thursday, September 26, 2024 from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM at American Heritage Funeral Home, 10710 Veterans Memorial Drive, Houston, TX 77038. A funeral service will occur Thursday, September 26, 2024 from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM, 10710 Veterans Memorial Drive, Houston, TX 77038. A committal service will occur Thursday, September 26, 2024 from 12:45 PM to 1:15 PM at Houston National Cemetery, 10410 Veterans Memorial Dr, Houston, TX 77038. A reception will occur Thursday, September 26, 2024 from 1:15 PM to 3:15 PM, 10710 Veterans Memorial Drive, Houston, TX 77038.