ARCO regrets to inform its members of the death of Captain Aidan O’Leary, of Cashelmara, Salthill, Galway and formerly of Beaumont, Dublin. Predeceased by his father, Bill. It is with deep sadness that Aidan’s family share the news of his death, unexpectedly and suddenly whilst on holiday on Tuesday, 6th August 2024, surrounded by his heartbroken family in Portugal. Deeply mourned and loved by his heartbroken wife Karen, and children, Darragh and Eimear, by his mother Pauline, sister Mary-Liz, brothers Eoin and Art, brothers-in-law Colm, Terry and Brad, sisters-in-law Martina, Aideen, Sadhbh and Emer, nieces and nephews Finbarr, Niamh, Ailbhe, Muireann, Orla, Sorcha, Siofra, Rory, Orna, Maeve, Caoilinn and Ian, relatives, neighbours, colleagues, Defence Forces comrades and friends.
May his gentle soul rest in peace
Aidan O’Leary was a member of 60 Cadet Class and was commissioned into the Supply and Transport Corps on 25th March 1985. He served initially in Cork and was then posted to 2 Garrison S&T Company in Dublin. Having completed a bachelor’s degree in economics, Aidan went on to take a masters in that academic discipline. In May 1991 he was seconded to the Department of Finance as a policy analyst for a year and was then posted as a Lieutenant to Planning and Research Section in Defence Forces Headquarters in July 1992, and later to the Strategic Planning Office when it was established. He completed tours of peacekeeping duty in Lebanon with 68 Infantry Battalion in 1990/91 and with 82 Infantry Battalion in 1997/98. Aidan was an observer with the European Union Monitoring Mission in the former Yugoslavia in 1994/95.
Having retired from the Defence Forces he was Head of Finance for the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Bosnia and Herzegovina from March 2000 to February 2002 and was Head of Administration from then to August 2006 when he moved to Gaza as Deputy Director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNWRA). In September 2011 Aidan moved to Afghanistan as Head of Office of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In January 2015 he was appointed as the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Chief of the Polio Eradication Programme in Pakistan. From July 2017 to March 2018, he was based in Jordan as Head of Office for OCHA in Syria. He then moved to Iraq as OCHA Head of Office. In Jan 2020 he was OCHA Head of Office in Yemen.
A measure of the regard in which Aidan was held, both as a leader and a humanitarian, saw him appointed Director for Polio Eradication at the World Health Organization on 1st January 2021 where he led the global effort in the fight against this disease.
Reposing at the O’Flaherty funeral parlour, Munster Avenue, Galway (H91V1K8) on Wednesday from 5 p.m. with Removal at 8 p.m. to the Church of Saint John the Apostle, Knocknacarra arriving at 8.30 p.m. sharp. Requiem Mass will be celebrated for Aidan on Thursday, 15th August (The Feast of the Assumption) at 12 noon (https://www.churchtv.ie/knocknacarra/) and following Mass Aidan will be laid to rest in Rahoon Cemetery. House private please. Thank you.
Members may wish to leave personal messages in the ‘Condolences’ section of Aidan’s death notice on rip.ie – https://rip.ie/death-notice/aidan-oleary-dublin-beaumont-565014
