WEST NEWBURY: John Mitchell Leary, 84, died on Friday, September 11, 2015. He was the beloved husband of Mary (McAuliffe) Leary with whom he shared sixty-one years of marriage.
Born in Haverhill on September 3, 1931, he was the son of the late Michael and Alice (Cooney) Leary. John was a lifelong resident of West Newbury and a graduate of West Newbury High School and the College of Holy Cross, where he remained active alumni. He was employed as a supervisor for the former Western Electric for thirty-five years until his retirement in 1989.
John was a Deacon at St. Ann’s Church in West Newbury and worked as their book keeper for many years. He was also a longtime member of the Haverhill Jackson Club and served as President of the Pentucket Football Booster Club for several years. He was an avid and devoted fan of Pentucket football for over fifty years. John was very proud of his Irish heritage and was a loving and committed father, husband and grandfather. He will be missed by all who knew him.
In addition to his wife he is survived by his two children, John Mitchell, Jr. and his wife, Christine (Cammett) Leary and their children, Brien, Daniel, his fiancée, Kayla Plante and Meghan Leary; a daughter, Maureen (Leary) and her husband, Harold Knowles and their children, Samuel and Harrison Knowles; two sisters, Mary “Connie” Cullen and Margaret Jean Walker. He was predeceased by his brother, Daniel Leary and his sister, Carol Derro.
A funeral Mass for John will be celebrated on Monday, September 14th at 11 AM in St. Ann’s Church, 300 Main Street, West Newbury. Visiting hours will be held on Sunday, September 13th in the Linnehan-Grondin Funeral Home, 129 Kenoza Avenue, Haverhill from 4 – 7 p.m. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. Interment will be held in the Bridge Street Cemetery in West Newbury.