Therese Marie O'Leary

Therese “Tess” Marie O'Leary, age 89, of Carroll died peacefully of natural causes on May 23, 2020 at St. Anthony Nursing Home in Carroll.

Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, a Funeral Mass and Celebration of Life will be held at St. John Paul II Parish – St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Carroll when circumstances permit.  Burial will be in Mt. Olivet Cemetery.

Tess was born on July 7, 1930 in Duluth, MN, and was the daughter of John and Mary (Pavlas) Heaslip.  She was the last surviving sibling in a tight-knit family of twelve children.

Tess grew up in Duluth and where she graduated from Cathedral High School.  Her brother Pat introduced her to his friend, Dave O'Leary, who was in the service there, and the rest is history. They married in Duluth in 1953, then returned to his home state of Iowa, living in Carroll since 1959.

Tess worked as a dental assistant before marrying, and helped Dave in his commodities brokerage office for many years. But her career was motherhood, and she excelled at it.  Her house was filled with love and laughter, and she made it a very welcoming place for her and D.J.'s friends as well as her children's friends. The O'Leary house was a popular spot for extended family, too.

Tess was well known for her love of art and antiques, her easy going nature, and her pride in her Irish heritage. She was able to go to Ireland twice, and connected with her father's family. Together she and D.J. started a family tradition of an Irish Stew party that has lasted over fifty years. Frequent family reunions in Duluth kept her in touch with many nieces and nephews who she was important to as well.

She was an awesome mother and grandmother to the following children and grandchildren:  Ann Grossman (Phil) of Melbourne Australia and their children Alex, Aaron, Nicholas; Nora O'Leary (Cliff) of Lakeville, MN and their children Amanda and Jessica; Mark O'Leary (Linda) of Carroll, IA and their children Meagan and Ryan; Matthew O’Leary (deceased) his children Erin and Ellen with their mother Sidney Mick; Jean O'Leary (Ruth) of Madison, WI;  Mary Lawler (Denny) of Carroll, IA and their children Matt, Katie, Tessa; Sean O'Leary (Karen) of Des Moines, IA and their children Connor, Sean Patrick, Shannon, Cassidy; Patrick O'Leary (Jodi) Carroll, IA and their children Kaci and Kolin; Frances O'Leary (Chris) of Carroll, IA and their children Ian and Dylan.

Her legacy also includes eleven great grandchildren: Kaelin, Keeghan, Jasper, Matt, Hannah, David, Hollis, Macie, Barrett, Tadhg, and Leon.

Tess was preceded in death by husband David O'Leary “D.J.” and son Matthew.

Our family would like to thank the wonderful staff of St. Anthony Nursing Home as well as Hospice for their compassionate care and friendship. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to your local food shelf or favorite charity.