CHARLES DONALD LEAMY passed away on August 15, 2021, in Plano, Texas. He was born in Harrisburg, PA, on November 26, l938 to Frances (Hurley) and Daniel Leamy.
Charles leaves behind Ann, his wife of 42 years; four adult sons -- Christopher, James, Patrick, and John -- as well as one granddaughter, Alyssa, and one grandson, Gabriel. Charles' first marriage ended in divorce; from that union there are three adult daughters: Anne-Marie, Elizabeth and Catherine and a son Charles, father to Charles' granddaughter, Emma. Charles also leaves behind his two sisters, Martha Jane (Rev. Mark Mullin) and Susan (Dr Wayne Thompson) in Virginia and brother, Daniel in Pennsylvania. Charles also has many cousins living on both coasts of the United States.
Charles lettered in both baseball and football in high school (Camp Hill, PA) and college (Harvard), winning Harvard’s William Paine LaCroix Award for his enthusiasm for the game and his sportsmanship, loyalty, and team spirit. He also boxed and was undefeated while at Harvard. Charles would often say that he needed to burn off his extra energy in order to study. Charles had a sport for each season. At Harvard, Charles was a member of the Class of 1960 and Dunster House, was in Army ROTC, graduated with Distinguished Military Honors and received an A.B. majoring in Social Relations.
Following college graduation, Charles served our country first as an Army Ranger and then as a commander of a missile base in Germany during the Cuban Missile Crisis where he also, as a Captain, taught soldiers. Charles then worked at and received, in 1966, his MBA from Columbia University where he was a Marshall in his business school class. Then, Charles worked nearly half a century for Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. starting in New York City, then Connecticut and then Dallas.
Charles and Ann met in l979 in Greenwich, CT in a church RENEW group during Lent. Marrying shortly thereafter, they were to move first to Wilton, New Hampshire and then to Dallas, Texas.
While at college and afterward, Charles attended daily Mass. He was a reader during daily Mass while working in New York City. Charles was a devout Catholic and devoted Father. Charles will be fondly remembered for rounding up neighborhood boys with his own and taking them to Sunday Mass followed by dinner at Ci Ci's Pizza.
Though academically and athletically gifted, Charles moved through his lifetime super achieving and enjoying a wide world of people and work. Relatives and friends remember Charles' successes in his life and in his work as well as his service to his country. His family remembers him as Dad. Charles worked all his life to provide for his family. Charles' greatest strength was in his relationships.
During Charles' illness, his colleagues from Northwestern visited him at the Life Care Center of Plano and at Medical City Plano hospital. His colleagues were as devoted to him as family. We are so very grateful to them for all their kindnesses and to the staff at both Medical City Plano and the staff at Life Care Center of Plano for their care.
There will be a private ceremony (date undetermined) for Charles at The National Military Cemetery, in Dallas. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society or St. Vincent de Paul in Charles' name.
