Obituary of William E. Leary

Horseheads: Age 67, passed away at home, surrounded by his loved ones, on July 4, 2015, after a short but courageous battle with ALS. William, known to many as Bill, was born in Albany, NY on February 13, 1948, to Sophia Bulac Leary and the late Donald E. Leary, Sr. He was predeceased by his brother, Donald E. Leary, Jr. Bill is survived by his wife and best friend of 18 years, Tonya Golden Leary; daughters, Erica Leary Kelly and husband Thomas of New York City; Heather Leary Dufore and husband Tim of Connecticut, Theresa Golden Rivero and husband Mark of Buffalo, NY; Cali Golden Swartz and husband Blaine of Horseheads, NY; Proud Papa to Frankie Rivero, Lucy Swartz and future baby Dufore; brother George Leary of Woodstock, NY; sister Linda Leary Phillips and husband Edward of Nassau, NY; sister-in-law Sandra Ferguson of Nashville, TN and his beloved furry kid, Patti the Pomapoo. Bill was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, serving during the Vietnam era from1970-1972. After leaving the Navy, Bill went on to receive his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Union College and his M.S. in Industrial Engineering from Alfred University. Bill spent the majority of his professional career with Corning Inc. where he worked on and off for over 30 years as a Project Electrical Engineer and also worked for a number of years for Toshiba Display Devices. After retirement from Corning Inc., Bill enjoyed working at Community Glass with Mike and Patrick Crouse. Loved for his smile and signature giggle, Bill loved dancing and listening to anything from Huey Lewis to Meghan Trainor. He always enjoyed golfing with his buddies Lou, Jerry and Dave, his golf trips with Jose & Charles, skiing Black Diamonds and tinkering on his cars while teaching the kids how to change their oil. Bill owned a higher than average number of Hawaiian shirts and enjoyed the simple things in life such as orange soda (with no ice), Malibu and O.J., Almond Joys, Strawberry Shortcake and Burger King Whoppers. While some may face a diagnosis with ALS with anger and resentment, Bill faced it with positivity. Knowing that his time was limited, he was able to see his oldest daughter get married on July 3rd and learn the gender of his soon to be born grandchild. In remembering the great man that he was, Bill always had a smile on his face. He was a wonderful husband, a loving father, grandfather, and a caring friend. Although his family will miss him for all the treasured moments to come, they find peace in knowing that Bill left this earth on one of his favorite holidays – The Fourth of July. As Bill always appreciated a good fireworks display, his family celebrated his life with a fireworks show in the backyard that very night. The family would like to thank the Paralyzed Veterans Association, The Bath VA Primary Home Based Care Providers, Deb, Karin, Matt, and Danielle for their kind and compassionate care the past four months, and to all the other people who provided help & friendship during this difficult time. It was Bill's request that in lieu of flowers, his memory be honored by a donation to the ALS Association, Upstate New York Chapter, ATTN: Walk to Defeat ALS. 890 Seventh North St, Suite 108, Liverpool, NY 13088, in an effort to find a cure for Lou Gehrig's disease. Those wishing to celebrate Bill's life are invited to McInerny Funeral Home, 502 W. Water Street, Elmira, on Saturday, July 11, 2015 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. A time of sharing will follow the visitation and services will conclude with military honors.