Our beloved mother has gone to be with the Lord. Miriam Virginia (Barnes) O’Leary was born on September 29, 1923 in Hanover, Pennsylvania to Hilda and Carroll Barnes. She graduated from Eichelberger High School in Hanover. She joined the U.S. Navy during World War II in one of the first group of “Waves” and was honorably discharged in 1946. She used the GI Bill to attend college and received her Bachelors of Science degree from Juniata College in 1952. She went on to work for the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. She worked under Dr. Pope Lawrence on the Hagerstown Study, which was the first study that linked environmental effects (radium in the soil) to cancer. She was proud of her work developing diets for heart patients, as her father was one of the patients she helped. She then met the love of her life, Henry O’Leary, and they married and she became a Navy wife. After moving to California, Miriam enrolled in graduate school at San Diego
State University and received a Master’s Degree in Education, and went on to teach in elementary schools in San Diego. She also worked for the California Veteran’s Job Service. She was honored by the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Defense for her tireless efforts to secure jobs for disabled veterans and Vietnam veterans, as she led the entire west coast in this effort. After retirement in 1986, she
continued to serve her community and family. She volunteered at local schools and churches, and always donated to organizations that helped the underrepresented and needy populations such as United Farmworkers, Angeltree, Mission of Joy, Veterans’ organizations and more. Miriam was best known for her wonderful smile and the love and kindness behind her smile and her love of her Lord. She was loved by everyone that was fortunate enough to cross her path. Whether it be running out to give bottled water to a yard worker, or delivering goodies to her neighbors and friends, Miriam was always giving to others.
She always put others ahead of herself. She stayed active in the community until shortly before her death and her smile was non-stop. As a mother, she set an example that her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren can look up to with pride. Miriam was preceded in death by her husband of more than 50 years, Henry O’Leary, and her sisters Margaret Unger and Frances Hostetter. She is survived by her
four children, Jeff (and Cindy) O’Leary, Colleen (and Ronald) Elder, Patricia O’Leary, and Shawn (and Amy) O’Leary. She is also survived by 8 grandchildren including Travis O’Leary and Heather Tustin who she helped raise, 10 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild. She is also survived by her sister Janet Heller of Hanover, PA. Miriam will be dearly missed by her family, neighbors, friends, and community. She will be interned at a memorial service at Miramar National Cemetery in San Diego on Monday, June 17, 2019 at 1:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, we ask for donations to be sent to either Horizon Christian Fellowship of San Diego (www.hcf.org), Voices for Children (www.speakupnow.org), or Mission of Joy (www.missionofjoy.org).
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18