The O’Leary Foundation is a philanthropic organization dedicated to the support of programs in human services, education and health care initiatives that offer significant, potential support for individual development and community enhancement.
The foundation was started by Muriel & Bob O’Leary’s five children after Muriel passed away and Bob passed away 18 months later of health complications in 2002.
Muriel was an Registered Nurse by trade for over 35 years and a politician for 15 years. Bob was a coach, teacher, and salesman. They weren’t wealthy, weren’t powerful, but they had a voice. They taught us how to be strong and help people, to be a part of the solution, a part of the CHANGE. How to love your neighbor, even if you didn’t know them.
As children we saw first hand what it meant to give back, whether it was volunteering at Christmas to ring the bell or giving the homeless a Thanksgiving meal in our home. In the summers, we would go door to door in the neighborhoods to collect canned foods for the church shelter. When we got older, we began to realize that not everyone has the same things as we do. With our mom especially, we attended various fundraisers and political speeches to hear what the local government was doing to help the less fortunate, the battered, and the poor in our area.
Late in 2002 we started our foundation to continue their legacy, their work. Muriel & Bob’s funerals were large, very large. We took the names and addresses from all the people that Mom and Dad touched and asked them if they would help support us to start their legacy. The amount of support we received was unbelievable.
Every year we now hold an event called “A Night out with Muriel & Bob”.