William Lawrence Leahy, Jr., aged 73 and a lifelong resident of Newport, RI, passed away following an extended illness on March 31, 2026.
“Rusty” was the son of William L. Leahy and Florence Galvin Leahy. He attended St. Philomena’s School and graduated from De La Salle Academy in 1971. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Education at the University of Rhode Island in 1991. Rusty was a certified welder and served as a Board member and Assistant Producer of documentaries at Creative Television of Rhode Island.
Rusty enjoyed art, piano, music, cycling, cooking, and excelling at Jeopardy. His quick and clever wit was hard to match, and he brought a smile to others daily with a kind word.
The lad resembled a Texas Ranger with his tall stature and Rua long hair. His friends referred to him as “Tex,” a moniker that remained with him throughout his life.
Rusty is survived by his two sisters: Fern Crisp of Tallahassee, FL, and Lesly A. Leahy (William Northup) of Little Compton, RI. He leaves behind his niece, Megan Nichols (Michael Nichols) of Tallahassee, FL, as well as nephews Nicolas Crisp of Henderson, NV, and Austin Jezak (Talia Jezak) of Newport, RI. In addition, he is survived by his grand-nephew, Foster Nichols, and grand-nieces, Adair Nichols and Minka Florence Jezak. Rusty is pre-deceased by his parents.
Visiting hours will be held on Monday, April 6th from 4:00-7:00 pm at the O’Neill-Hayes Funeral Home, 465 Spring St, Newport. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Tuesday, April 7th at 10:00 AM, St. Mary’s Church, corner of Spring St & Memorial Blvd, Newport. Burial will follow at St. Columba Cemetery, 465 Browns Ln, Middletown.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Salvation Army, 51 Memorial Boulevard, Newport, RI 02840, https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/ri/newport/.
For online tributes, please visit oneillhayes.com.