Judith O'Leary Jarrett

She was born in Clearwater, FL on the evening of September 25, 1945 to Humphrey J and Mary (Parker) O’Leary. This was a fitting time for her, as she would never be a morning person!

Judi attended various schools in Clearwater including North Ward and South Ward Elementary before finally moving to St. Cecelia School. She graduated from St. Cecelia in 1959.

She then attended Clearwater High School for 3 years. Shortly before her senior year Judi and her mother moved to San Antonio, FL. There she attended Holy Name Academy, graduating in 1963. Judi continued her education at St. Leo Junior College, where she met Sue and Ruthie, both of whom would remain lifelong friends. Judi completed her education at University of South Florida, graduating in 1967 with a degree in Education and a minor in journalism.

Due to a hiring freeze, she moved to Houston, TX where she began her teaching career. After a couple of years in TX (where she did not like the weather!), she moved back to Florida and taught for another year. Judi then decided to make a career change and got a job as a book keeper at Glass Service Company in Clearwater. This turned out to be a very fortuitous decision as she met her future husband there!

As interoffice dating was not permitted, Judi moved to a partnering company, Dean Roofing where she remained until her daughter was born. Judi took several years off to be a stay at home mom.

Around 1980 she returned to work, this time as a sign-language interpreter for the deaf at Cross Bayou Elementary. She remained there until retirement. Her favorite age group to interpret for was kindergarten. She loved the children and loved watching them learn and blossom. Judi was a firm believer in doing what was best for the child. Sometimes this put her at odds with her supervisors. As someone who knew her said, “there was no better advocate for the children.”

Judi was Catholic. She grew up attending St. Cecelia Church (where she kicked the shepherd in the rear end in a Christmas pageant one year, much to her mother’s dismay). As an adult she attended Holy Cross Church and moved to the newly formed St. Matthew’s parish, where she was a member for 40 years. Judi interpreted Sunday mass for over 40 years and occasionally interpreted religious education classes as well.

Her hobbies included reading, watching mysteries, especially Murder She Wrote and Death in Paradise, logic problems, cryptogram puzzles, re-painting garden figurines, which she had a knack for. She previously enjoyed cross-stitching projects and frequently gave them as gifts.

Judi was survived by her husband of 53 years, Bill and their daughter Cate. She was also survived by her sisters in law, Lorna Gibbons and Nan O’Leary, brother in law Paul Midili, numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, special cousin Susan Landry and long time friends Sue Rourke, Ruth Wilkinson, Debbie Heaton and Bev O’Neill.

She was preceded by her parents, brother Ronnie O’Leary, sister Denise Midili, Aunt Doris & Uncle Bill Parker, whom she affectionately referred to as Ma & Pa #2.

The family would like to thank the staff of HCA Hospital for the kindness and compassion they showed Judi.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Judi’s memory to St. Cecelia School, 1350 Court St, Clearwater, FL 33756.

A Funeral Mass will be held Wednesday, July 29, 2026 at 11am, St. Matthew Catholic Church, 9111 90th Ave, Largo, FL 33777, Bev O’Neill will be interpreting the mass. A Celebration of Life to follow at Serenity Funeral Home, 13401 Indian Rocks Road, Largo, FL 33774.

MY LOVE

At this point I am supposed to say Goodbye, I won’t. I will use the words of my German ancestors, auf Wiedersehen, until we see each other again.

I always knew that this time would come; my father was a smoker, and I watched him slowly die over a period of years. I had vowed to never marry a smoker, and then I met you. On our second date you told me that we were going to get married and live happily ever after. I never doubted you and we had fifty-three wonderful years together.

Over the last few days, I have looked back on our time together, I cannot remember a single time that we had a fight. Disagreements yes, but never an actual fight.

Besides yourself, you brought me into your Irish and Italian family. They welcomed me, this Protestant, New York Yankee, with open arms. I never had a Mother-in-law, just a second mother.

You had always wanted children, this was okay with me, but it was not that important to me. Until the day came, when I saw our daughter, Cate. I could not believe what had happened. I thought my life was full of love, but it just doubled and has continued to grow every day.

When you started to volunteer at Cross Bayou Elementary you seemed to have found yourself. You loved working with the children, and you were soon hired full-time as a Sign-Language Interpreter for mainstreamed Deaf children. You stayed there for twenty years, helping the children and their families. You were fortunate to be working with a very competent sta1, many becoming close friends.

You also stayed active with your church, volunteering at Saint Matthews as an interpreter for over forty years.

I was not expecting you to pass so soon. Both my father and mother had years in and out of hospitals before they went, this was your first hospital stay. You had seven months of flair ups and setbacks. One step forward two steps back. You saw five di1erent doctors and things just kept building up. Finally, it was just too much.

I did not see it coming, but Cate was thinking about it, so was Debbie, an old friend who is a nurse. My sister saw it in your eyes in the hospital while I was holding your hand. She knew, you were trying to protect me.

When we were dating, I got you a Valentine’s Day card, simple text “All My Love, All My Life”.

You framed that card and it is hanging in our bedroom. We have used that message in every card we sent each other since then. It is engraved on our wedding rings.

It is time

Auf Wiedersehen My Love

AML, AML

B