Timothy Dean O'Leary

Beloved Husband. Proud Father, Grandfather and Great Grandfather. Legend. Hero. Friend. Tim was born on July 24, 1928, in Kansas City, Missouri. He passed away peacefully from death to new life on October 6, 2020, at the age of 92 with his beloved family all by his side.

He grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, attended Rollins Grade School, Westport Junior High School and Westport High School, graduating in 1945 at the age of 16. His family didn’t have any money or a car, so he went to work at 11 years of age selling journal post papers on the corner of 39th and Main. At age 12, he worked for Crown Drug Store delivering products sold to customers on a bicycle at 10 cents an hour. The Drug Store elevated him to soda jerk (malt maker) where he made a little more money. At age 13, he worked for Winstead’s on the Plaza as the first frosty malt maker in the basement. At age 14, he set pins at the bowling alley on 40th and Main. At age 15, he went to Wellington, Kansas, and worked on the Santa Fe Railroad at a car barn, working on freight cars, 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. At age 16, he went to Roswell, New Mexico, and worked for the Santa Fe Railroad climbing telephone poles, 12 hours a day, 6 days a week, all while living in box cars.

Tim went on to serve as a Sergeant in the United States Army Air Corps from January 28, 1946 – December 23, 1948, as World War II was coming to an end. He learned how to build and repair radio teletype units and was assigned to Kimpo Airforce Base, 20 miles from the 38th Parallel dividing North and South Korea. He attended Keo University in Nagoya, Japan for three months, studying advanced electronics. Dad was also deployed to Blanconshire, England at Scanton Airbase during the Berlin airlift to be a gunner. He told his Colonel he had never seen a gun on the B-29, to which the Colonel replied, “Well, do the best you can.”

He graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia (Mizzou) in 1952 on the GI Bill with a degree in Economics. He was a member of Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity. He would say the best part of college was meeting our Mom, Darlene McBride O’Leary. Dad was a house boy at the Chi Omega house where they met. He would always say it was the best job he ever had. Their first date was at The Shack on campus and the rest, as they say, is history! They went on to marry June 11, 1955, at Visitation Catholic Church, the very place we will honor the end of his life. Tim and Darlene enjoyed an incredible life together – a true love story. They had six children, 12 grandchildren and 1 great grandson. They loved to dance, winning several dance contests. It was common to see them dancing to Frank Sinatra in the living room. Dad always dreamed of the day he would jitterbug again! We smile at the thought of Mom and Dad jitterbugging in Heaven once again!

Tim started as in insurance adjuster for The Hartford while attending night law school. He graduated from UMKC Law School in 1956. He began his law career in the Kansas City Attorney’s Office and then private practice. He was appointed in 1969 as a Judge in the Sixteenth Circuit Court in Jackson County, serving for 20 years before joining the Law Firm of Shughart Thomson and Kilroy, now Polsinelli. He founded the National Inns of Court program for Jackson County Circuit Court, served as President of the Inns of Court, was a member of the Supreme Court Committee on Criminal Instructions, President of the Missouri Trial Judges Association, and Dean of the Trial Bar, among many other positions he held.

Besides being known as the best dressed lawyer in Kansas City, Tim received many awards throughout his career, including: the Charles Evans Whittaker Award for Judicial Achievements, Spurgeon Smithson Award for Extraordinary Service and Dedication to the Legal Profession, President’s Award for Contributions to the Cause of Justice, Judicial Achievement Award from the Missouri Association of Trial Lawyers, Missouri University Alumni Achievement Award, Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys Judicial Achievement Award, Ad Hoc Group Against Crime Award for Service to the Community, Special Achievement Award for Justice of the Supreme Court of Missouri, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association Dean of the Trial Bar Award, Ross T. Roberts Inns of Court H. Michael Coburn Professional Excellence Award, and ultimately the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, the highest honor the organization bestows. Upon hearing of his death, his law firm shared, “Tim was an extraordinary lawyer, judge and legal leader. Most of all, he was universally loved and respected as a man of good humor with impeccable integrity. He was a role model for many of us. Tim was a devoted husband to his wife, Darlene, for 58 years, before her death in 2013. Tim loved life, his family, his friends, his colleagues, and his profession. We should all be grateful and proud that he was part of our firm.”

Tim advised his friends at Polsinelli on July 24, 2018, that he was retiring from the active practice of law at the young age of 90. He shared that the past 30 years had been a wonderful experience for him, much attributable to the friendships he had made and working with so many good lawyers. He loved the field of law!

Dad would tell us that God, family and friends are among life’s greatest accomplishments. He loved sharing favorite philosophies and quotes. Some of his favorites include: “Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” “On the road of life, it is not where you go, but who you are with that makes the difference.” “Suck it up and get going!” “Don’t run with the turkeys, soar with the Eagles.” “Work hard at your job, but work harder on yourself.” “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” In other words, attitude is what life is all about! Having a good attitude will help you handle the ups and downs of life.

Tim is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Darlene and son, Ted. He leaves his son Dr. Timothy O'Leary and his wife Kathleen and their children Timothy McBride and Madelyn Grace; son Terry and his wife Lynn and their children Ryan and his wife Maddy and their son Mason Timothy; Brendon and his wife Jackie, Thomas and his fiancé Whitney Walker, Mary and her fiancé Kevin Jacobs, and Amy; son Tom and his wife Jennifer and their children Lindsey, Tommy and Addie; daughter Lorrie and her husband Jon Ritchie and their children John Michael and Megan McBride; and his beloved daughter Megan Mavourneen.

Dad died the way he lived, at peace with God, his family and his friends. He would leave us all with one of his favorite quotes: “Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” – Mark Twain. Dad would then add his own advice: Drink plenty of water. Sleep at least 8 hours. Walk 2 miles a day – with a smile on your face. Don’t envy anyone – you already have more than you need. Make peace with problems of the past. If you don’t care about other people and just live within yourself, you will lose the best of life. However good or bad the situation, it will change. Smile and laugh more – much more. Keep a balanced life – work hard, be a person of integrity, keep your word, develop and maintain a good sense of humor, be a person of good will, truth, honor and integrity, and God will smile on you. Find the best in others. Give of yourself. Leave the world a little better. Don’t go to bed mad. If you make a mistake or something bad happens, stop it, get over it and move on. Do not hold grudges. If you don’t forgive others, the person you hurt the most is you. Walk humbly with God. Call your parents often. Be nice to old people, especially your Grandfather Tim! And above all, The Best Is Yet To Come!

Come celebrate Tim’s life with us at a Drive By Visitation on Friday, October 16th, from 2:00pm to 4:00pm, behind the Temple Mausoleum in Mt. Moriah Cemetery, 10507 Holmes Road, Kansas City, MO 64131. Please use the south cemetery driveway to enter for the visitation. There will be a private family Mass of Christian Burial on Saturday, October 17th at Visitation Catholic Church, followed by a private family burial at Mt. Moriah Cemetery. Friends are invited to view a livestream of the funeral service on Saturday the 17th at 9:00am at www.FB.com/MtMoriahNewcomer or scroll down on this page to the "Services" and click on "Join Livestream:.

Donations may be made to Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St. Joseph.