The passing of James “Jim” Archie Leary, who resided in Winfield, Maryland, took place in a serene and peaceful manner at his residence on the 17th of March, 2024. This event took place in Grafton, West Virginia, on April 9th, 1929. He was the fifth son of Charles William Leary and Lillie Mae (née Hewitt) Leary, who both passed away before he was born. His family consisted of seven males, and he was the fifth son of his parents.
A total of 41 years had passed since James had retired from his position as a teacher in the Maryland school system. James graduated from Belington High School in 1948 and then went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Fairmont State College in 1952.
Both of these accomplishments occurred in the same year. The month of August in the year 1952 was the time when he was drafted into the Army at Fort Meade, which is located in Maryland. Fort Knox, Kentucky, was the location where he finished his basic training, and the Signal Corporation was the organization that provided him with radio training. As time went on, Jim was dispatched to Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, in order to participate in the Radar Schooling program. The year 1954 was the year that he was discharged from the military, following the completion of a one-year tour of duty overseas in Asia as a countermeasure search expert.
He attended the University of Maryland at College Park and received a master’s degree in education with a concentration in education in 1965. He graduated with this degree. Furthermore, Jim continued his studies at Towson College and Davis Elkins College, all of which are located in the state of West Virginia. Jim was a member of several different groups, including the Ebenezer United Methodist Church, the American Legion Post 191 in Mount Airy, Maryland, and the VFW Post 410 in Laural Mount, West Virginia. Over the course of 27 years, Jim worked at Burrier-Queen Funeral Home on a part-time basis. This employment lasted for a total of 27 years.
In addition to his wife of 68 years, Doris (née Fitzwater) Leary, he is survived by his daughter Beverly Ann McCardle and her husband Stephen of Frederick, Maryland; his son Philip David Leary and his wife Caryn of Westminster; and his daughter-in-law Deirdre Leary of Eldersburg, Maryland. All of these individuals are members of his family. In addition, he is survived by his younger brother Edward, who resides in Parkersburg, West Virginia, as well as seven grandchildren, Jody, Heather, Lauren, Ryan, Benjamin, Andrew, and Elizabeth, and eight great-grandchildren, Jackson, Jemma, Jase, Brooks, Dash, Windsor, Mackenzie, and Kennedy. He also leaves behind eight great-great-grandchildren.
His son Stephen Paul Leary, along with his five brothers Charles, John, Frank, Bill, and Leslie, all perished away before he did. His surviving family members include his son.
Ebenezer United Methodist Church, which can be found at 4901 Woodbine Road in Sykesville, Maryland 21784, will be the location of a memorial service that will take place on Sunday, March 24, 2024, at three o’clock in the afternoon. In lieu of sending flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Ebenezer United Methodist Church Building Fund or the Bridging Life Caroll Hospice. Both of these organizations are dedicated to giving back to the community.
