Daniel James O’Leary, 86, of Jamestown, RI, passed away at home on July 15, 2025. He was the loving husband of Michol Bestoso O’Leary for 58 years.
Dan was born on April 27, 1939, to Catherine Carroll (Drinagh, County Cork, Ireland) and Dan O’Leary (Derreen, County Clare, Ireland) at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up in Woodside, Queens, and attended Catholic parochial schools. He graduated from St. John’s College with an A.B. in History and Philosophy. He later attended NYU and earned his MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Upon graduation, Dan joined the United States Navy and was commissioned as an Ensign, USNR. He served on active duty primarily aboard destroyers in the North Atlantic and retired from the active reserve as a Captain in 1986.
As a civilian, Dan served as an administrator at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and at the Smithsonian Institution. He later spent 25 years at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, where he held the roles of Vice President, Provost, and Acting President.
Dan took immense pride in his country and in Hamilton College, but nothing brought him more joy than his family. No matter the conversation, he would find a way to turn it toward his beautiful wife, children, and grandchildren — their photos always close at hand.
In addition to his wife Michol, Dan is survived by his sons Dan O’Leary (Groton, MA) and Rob O’Leary (Berlin, Germany), and daughters Katy O’Leary (Harvard, MA) and Joanna O’Leary (Portland, OR); seven beloved grandchildren: Lucy, Eliza, Alison, Cate, Max, Paul, and Kai. He is also survived by his sisters Margaret Diglio (Madison, CT) and Eileen Grubb (Pawleys Island, SC), as well as many nieces and nephews, and Bestoso sisters- and brothers-in-law. His sister Catherine O’Leary predeceased him.
A celebration of Dan’s life will begin at Belmont Chapel, corner of Farewell St & Warner St, Newport, RI, on Friday, August 1, at 11:00 a.m., immediately followed by a reception in his honor at the Conanicut Yacht Club in Jamestown, RI. Interment will be private.
Special thanks to Patty Bestoso, and to Paul and Patty Bestoso, who carried us through Dan’s final days.
Memorial contributions may be made in Dan’s honor to Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Brooklyn, NY, https://fundraise.givesmart.com/form/dVBswA?vid=1knfr6
