Obituary of Patricia Ann O'Leary

Mrs. Patricia Ann (Rapp) O'Leary of Old Lyme, Connecticut, passed away in her sleep during the morning hours of January 12, 2012. She was 84 years old. Born in 1927 in Springfield, Massachusetts, Mrs. O'Leary was the daughter of Mr. Alfred M. Rapp and Mrs. Elizabeth (O'Connell) Rapp. Mrs. O'Leary grew up in the Forest Park neighborhood of Springfield and, from an early age, exhibited a passion and talent for music, spending much of her time playing the piano. She also enjoyed tennis and the company of an extended family in western Massachusetts and several lifelong friends. Mrs. O'Leary graduated summa cum laude from Classical High School in Springfield in June 1944, and served as a senior class officer. Following high school, she continued her music studies graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts. Following Smith College, Mrs. O'Leary attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where she earned a Master of Arts in Music in 1949. The highlight of Mrs. O'Leary's music career occurred during 1948, when she played piano during the Boston Pops' 63rd season under the direction of Arthur Fiedler. After completing her master's degree, Mrs. O'Leary joined the faculty of Connecticut College for Women in New London. It was during this time, when she met her future husband, Mr. Stephen J. O'Leary, Jr., a U.S. Navy submarine officer stationed in New London. Mr. and Mrs. O'Leary were married on June 26, 1954 at the Holy Name Church in Springfield, following which they established a home on Gravel Street in Mystic, Connecticut, overlooking the Mystic River and Seaport. The young couple's time in Mystic was short lived, as her husband received orders to serve as Assistant Naval Attaché to the United States Embassy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Following a language-school immersion in Portuguese, the couple settled in a home in the high hills overlooking Rio, where then enjoyed the embassy life in post-war Brazil. It was in South America where Mrs. O'Leary flew her first and last airplane flight. Traveling with a number of embassy wives, Mrs. O'Leary endured a harrowing DC-3 flight over the Andes and resolved to keep her feet firmly on the ground from then on. After leaving Brazil, the couple lived in Summerville and Charleston, South Carolina. Mrs. O'Leary loved flowers and always reminisced about the South Carolina springtime with its beautiful azaleas and gardenias. In 1962, the O'Learys returned to Connecticut and subsequently built a home in Old Lyme where they lived the rest of their lives. Mrs. O'Leary was a passionate fan of crossword puzzles, particularly the Sunday New York Times puzzle, which she would dispatch with vigor and speed … as well as accuracy. She maintained a number of close friends from college and from the many places she lived. Mrs. O'Leary loved a good conversation, particularly on late summer afternoons on her deck overlooking Long Island Sound. After many years spent raising children, Mrs. O'Leary returned to playing the piano in her later years. Often a perfectionist, she would practice when the house was quiet and let the melodies drift. She is greatly missed. Mrs. O'Leary is survived by a son, Stephen J. O'Leary, III, of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, a daughter, Nancy Davis of Bronxville, New York, a son, Thomas M. O'Leary of Groton, and eleven grandchildren. Visitation will be on Wednesday, January 18th from 6pm-8pm at the Robinson, Wright & Weymer Funeral Home, 34 Main Street, Centerbrook, Connecticut. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10am on Thursday, January 19that Christ the King Church, 1 McCurdy Road in Old Lyme. Interment will follow at the Duck River Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library, 2 Library Lane, Old Lyme, Connecticut 06371. To share a memory of Mrs. O'Leary or leave a condolence for her family please visit www.rwwfh.com.