Anthony "Andy" Leary
What do you remember about Anthony? Share your stories and photos here, and invite others to come share their memories.
Memorial Service for Anthony Ray "Andy" Leary will be at 2:00 p.m., Monday, July 26, 2021 in the Becker-Rabon Funeral Home Chapel with CAPT Stephen J. Shaw, US Navy, Norfolk, Virginia officiating.
The service may be viewed by following the livestream link at www.beckerfuneral.com or by visiting the Becker-Rabon Funeral Home Facebook page.
Anthony (Andy) Ray Leary passed away on July 16, 2021, at the Integris Hospice House in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma at the age of 59.
Andy was born in Lawton, Oklahoma on October 3, 1961, to Carol Marcelline (Berryhill) and Richard Emerson "Dick" Leary. Andy was reared in Fletcher and Lawton, Oklahoma attending Fletcher Elementary School, Robert E. Lee Elementary, Central Junior High, and Lawton High School graduating as a proud member of the Class of 1979. He grew up learning the value of a strong work ethic beginning work at the age of 12 as a paperboy and at 14 he was an ice cream scooper; he also had the opportunity to work at A-OK Rubber Stamp - all while participating in youth baseball and wrestling. He played varsity baseball at Lawton High School and was recognized for his exceptional skills on the diamond by receiving a baseball scholarship to Cameron University in 1979.
Like his brothers, another of his passions was the theater. He starred as George Gibbs in "Our Town" by Thornton Wilder his senior year and he also played John in "Lion In Winter" at the Lawton Community Theater. He was a true Renaissance man at a young age.
The Leary Brothers grew up in the Mission Village neighborhood in a home filled with laughter and always packed with friends, who continue to be good friends to this day. Oh, the stories that little house could share - all good and joyful, creating lifetime memories. Saturdays in the fall you could count on Andy cheering on his favorite sports team, Oklahoma Sooners Football. #Boomer
Andy married Lisa Lundquist in May 1980 at Central Baptist Church in Lawton, Oklahoma. They spent their married life in Lawton, Oklahoma, The Colony, Texas, Owasso, Oklahoma, and Choctaw, Oklahoma. Professionally, Andy had the experience of being an employee of great companies and under mentor bosses. He had a lengthy career in the field of software engineering both for commercial endeavors and defense contractors. Through his work he had the opportunity to travel the world being able to work and visit Ireland, Bulgaria, Peru, and Israel. At work, he made genuine and lasting friendships he cherished throughout the years. Andy's most recent employment was as a software engineering lead for the C-17 Avionics/Flight Control Project at Boeing, Oklahoma City under the kind leadership of Trung Nguyen.
A friend shared: "I will always cherish the times we worked together in Oklahoma and Texas. He is a great friend and the hardest worker in the business. If you follow his lead, then you will succeed. My family and I are grateful to know him. He always went out of his way to help his friends and co-workers." This is Andy Leary ... the first to arrive, the last to leave and never missing the opportunity to be a friend or help others.
Throughout the years Andy remained active in recreational sports including a long softball 'career.' Civically, Andy participated in many individual volunteer initiatives, and with volunteer organizations ranging from the PTA, to scouts, to booster clubs, to coaching youth sports, to the theater, and serving others at the annual NTX Soup-N-Bowl in Texas. He served as the President of the Lawton Jaycees in the early 90's.
Those left to cherish memories of Andy are his wife, Lisa Leary, son, Zach Leary and wife, Kasey of Justin, Texas, daughter, Anna Newport and husband Josh of The Colony, Texas and daughter, Elise Leary of McKinney, Texas.
He loved deeply and lived for his six beloved grandchildren who brought him joy beyond measure. They are Jace Newport, Jack Maloney, Ava Newport, Lauren Leary, Luke Maloney, and Meredith Leary. Andy's brothers, also Andy's closest friends and allies, who he loved and admired include Victor Leary and wife Martha McCord Leary of Lawton, Oklahoma, Rick Leary and Kara of The Colony, Texas and Steve Leary of Dallas, Texas, his stepbrothers, Lorance (Tino) Lorentino of Burleson, Texas, William Lorentino and wife Michelle of Eufaula, Oklahoma, Quanah Lorentino of Cache, Oklahoma and James Lorentino of Wichita, Kansas, and mother-in-law, Vera E. (Folsom) Lundquist of Choctaw, Oklahoma and many other family members.
Preceding Andy in death are his mother, Carol Marcelline Lorentino, stepfather, William "Bill" Lorentino, father, Richard Emerson "Dick" Leary, father-in-law, Leroy E. Lundquist, sister-in-law, Gretchen Dyer, maternal grandparents, Dovie Ione (Liles) Berryhill and Hayden Berryhill, paternal grandparents, May (Bredan) Leary Resteck and Robert W. Leary.
Anthony (Andy) Ray Leary was diagnosis with peritoneal carcinomatosis on July 6, 2021, and passed ten short days later on July 16, 2021. Andy was a 14-year survivor of Stage IVb esophageal cancer. Due to battling rare cancers Andy donated his body to cancer research in hopes to spare others from suffering a cancer diagnosis.
In lieu of flowers, per Andy's final wishes, a scholarship fund has been established at Lawton High School in Andy's name to be awarded annually to a student who will pursue higher education and be a student athlete playing baseball or a student entering the field of drama at Cameron University. Both areas that brought him great joy!
To donate to the LHS Andy Leary Scholarship Fund, please either visit https://gofund.me/4412e36d or mail checks to, Lawton High School, Attn: Finance Secretary, 601 NW Ft. Sill Blvd., Lawton, OK 73507,
In the memo line of your check please add ANDY LEARY SCHOLARSHIP FUND.
If you have heart burn, please visit www.get-checked.org. Heartburn can cause cancer, get checked!
Quotes:
"We just don't recognize life's most significant moments while they're happening. Back then I thought, "Well, there'll be other days." I didn't realize that was the only day." - Dr. Archibald "Moonlight" Graham, Field of Dreams
"... It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great!" - Jimmy Dugan, League of Their Own
"There's no crying in baseball!" - Jimmy Dugan, League of Their Own
An online guest book and sympathy cards are available at www.beckerfuneral.com