Lakewood Ranch's No. 1 ambassador dies at 90

As East Manatee Fire Rescue Chief Lee Whitehurst tells it, 88-year-old Don O'Leary pulled up to his station "two Christmases ago" to deliver his regular holiday ham for the firefighters.

Only this Christmas was different. The years had taken their toll on O'Leary, a former 30-year firefighter for the New York City Fire Department and a former East Manatee Fire Rescue District commissioner. He no longer could deliver a ham to each East Manatee station, as was his custom. Instead, he delivered 10 to Whitehurst at Station One to be distributed.

The only problem was that O'Leary was one short.

Upon realizing his mistake, he immediately left.

"The next thing you know, he had that extra ham," Whitehurst said.

When it came to helping others, O'Leary had no peer, not even in his beloved Lakewood Ranch.

O'Leary, who two decades ago became known as "the unofficial mayor of Lakewood Ranch," died Jan. 11 at the age of 90.

No fire ever burned so hot as O'Leary's passion for firefighters and his community.

"Lakewood Ranch was his pride and joy," said his son, Richard O'Leary of Parrish. "Every fireman in this county knows him. Whenever he was sick, they would show up in droves. They knew he did everything he could for them. He would take them under his wing."

Richard O'Leary said his father, who had been moved into memory care, was diagnosed with what doctors called "an extremely aggressive brain tumor."

"He had stopped eating and the doctors said he would wither away. He told me on Friday that he was done."

It was the final chapter in a long, fascinating life of goodwill.

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Twice while fighting fires during his 30-year career with the New York City Fire Department, he was buried beneath rubble and given last rites, only to survive and return to his job.

He delivered two babies during his career as a firefighter and once had to knock out a woman who was trying to commit suicide in order to save her, which he did.

"I grew up watching the news," Richard O'Leary said. "Twice I saw my father on TV being dragged out of fires. We weren't allowed to watch the news any more.

"His burned-up fire helmet from one of those fires is in a glass case in a memorial at (Station 8)."

East Manatee Fire Rescue's Station 8 was dedicated to Don O'Leary in 2021.

Whitehurst said East Manatee Fire Rescue would have fewer stations if not for O'Leary's efforts. O'Leary moved to Lakewood Ranch in 1997.

"Don became a friend of the fire district before he was a commissioner," Whitehurst said. "With the area growing, he saw there were no fire houses. So he would attend all the (Manatee County Commission and East Manatee Fire Rescue commission) meetings. The board got to know him quite well. He could be a bull in a china shop.

"He was pushing the fire district to match Lakewood Ranch's growth."

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O'Leary, who became a fire commissioner in 2011 and served until 2019, knew matching Lakewood Ranch's growth meant the fire district and the county had to develop a good relationship with Schroeder-Manatee Ranch and Rex Jensen.

"Our first first station was in the Market Street area," Whitehurst said. "He would stand up during community comments (at Manatee County Commission meetings) and say, "You guys need to talk with Rex."

"Ever the firefighter, Don was an enthusiastic and tireless advocate for Lakewood Ranch," said Jensen, the president and CEO of SMR. "He always used a pair of size 22 boots to apply to the butt of anyone he deemed to not be moving fast enough, and that was almost everyone. Few could run at his pace or match his endurance."

While he was known as the "unofficial mayor" he also could have been called an ambassador for Lakewood Ranch.

"He thought Lakewood Ranch was the best place on earth," Richard O'Leary said. "He lived, breathed and ate Lakewood Ranch. He could rattle off facts about Lakewood Ranch, and the fire department."

Former East County Observer reporter Pam Eubanks wrote several stories involving O'Leary and became close to him.

"Don was one of the first people I met when I moved to Lakewood Ranch in 2005, and he already was known as the unofficial mayor of Lakewood Ranch," Eubanks wrote from her current home in the Netherlands. "His New York accent was so thick, he had to repeat himself three times for me to understand. Thankfully, I got used to it, because he turned out to be a wonderful friend and great source for Lakewood Ranch news."

Eubanks said O'Leary totally immersed himself in his community.

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"Don believed in the Lakewood Ranch community from the moment he saw plans for it," she wrote. "He purchased his lakefront lot in Edgewater in the mid-1990s. He believed Lakewood Ranch would be vibrant and beautiful.

"He truly was a community activist. He lobbied for fire stations throughout Lakewood Ranch, for traffic lights, and for an increase in Sheriff's Office patrols."

His work in the community did not go unnoticed. In 2006, he was named the C. John Clarke Humanitarian of the Year by the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund. He was the first winner of the award after John Clarke himself. He was awarded the 2011 Citizen of the Year "Sandies" award by the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance in 2011.

Eva Rey served as executive director of the Lakewood Ranch Inter-District Authority from 2011-2015 and O'Leary was one of the first Lakewood Ranch residents she met.

"Don welcomed me into this community with open arms," she said. "He took me under his wing and gave me the history on community issues. He was a force in the community, working behind the scenes to fix things. We both had similar takes on bringing the community together to create a sense of belonging and I always could count on him for advice."

Rey, who now lives on the east coast of Florida, said if she ever needed help organizing an event, she could turn to O'Leary for help since he seemed to know everyone.

She also just liked being around him.

"He always was quick with a joke," she said. "He was so funny and he had a story to go along with everything. I loved his stories."

She said no matter the task, he always wanted to help.

"If you needed help with moving furniture or a ride to the doctor's office, he was there," she said. "I am really going to miss him. He's the mayor of Lakewood Ranch."

Richard O'Leary said his father carried gift cards in his pocket wherever he went, handing them out to anyone he wanted to make smile. 

"Every single person he dealt with got a card," Richard O'Leary said with a laugh. "The TV repairman couldn't wait to come to the house."

Richard O'Leary characterized his father as a strict parent but one who would do anything for his four children and his wife, Audrey.

"He was dedicated and he was relentless if he wanted something, but it was never something for himself," Richard O'Leary said. 

Whitehurst said O'Leary was direct, and effective.

"His character was that of a well-dressed John Wayne," Whitehurst said. "He didn't pull any punches, but he always was prim and proper. Talk about someone who did not believe in political correctness. He would say, 'You need permits? Well, get it done.' He was quite the pusher. He cut through the bull … to get things done. That's how he did business in New York City and he brought it here. He was different."

Whitehurst gave the example that the East Manatee Fire District had a formula for training that involved a certain dollar amount for every person in the district.

"He would say, 'How come we have money left over every year? Why aren't they taking training?'"

Former Manatee County District 5 Commissioner Vanessa Baugh said O'Leary was a genuine person whose devotion was to his wife, his family, and the firefighters, in that order, and of course, to Lakewood Ranch.

"He was the most loving, devoted friend anyone could have," Baugh said. "He was there for anyone who needed him.

"It's a sad day for Lakewood Ranch. He always was considered the mayor of Lakewood Ranch ... and he was."