Irish Person of the year, Lary Leach - 2002

I was born in Grand Rapids Michigan to Margaret, and Earl Leach, who provided a strict Catholic home. I have two older brothers and a younger sister. Brother Jack and I went to the Seminary for four years at St. Joseph’s Seminary for high school. I have some close Priest and Monsignor friends from those days. All of us went to NotreDame, including my father and uncle, and my Sister to St. Joseph’s nursing school.

I spent two years in the Army in Fairbanks Alaska in Army Administration, then Notre Dame where I received BS in Mechanical Engineering. I met Shele towards the end of my senior year, and we married the fall, 1960. Work experience included two years with Lear (autopilots) in Grand Rapids, then to South Bend for four years with O’Brien Paint in Process Design, construction and maintenance. We moved to Dallas in 1965, where I worked for Texas Instruments in Facilities design, construction and maintenance for half my career, then Semiconductor Marketing for the other half for a total of 33 years. I still maintain a Real Estate Broker’s License and have Professional Engineering Status in Texas and Indiana.
While in South Bend, we were involved in Little Flower Parish, which started us in community service. The Catholic Family Movement (CFM) was part of our life.
We moved to Dallas in 1965 because of the growth and "can do" attitude. We were in St. Paul’s Parish in Richardson, involved in the model Vatican II parish, which was way ahead of its time. Thank God for the guidance of the Priests (Paulist) who provided the motivation to be action Catholics, and recognize our responsibilities as professing Catholics. Shele taught CCD, and I managed the maintenance and small construction projects for the parish.
Receiving an MBA at Southern Methodist prompted me to get involved in the community: politics, campaigns, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Irish Fest, the Notre Dame Club of Dallas, and now the Irish American Society. President of the Notre Dame Club of Dallas in 1988-89, I received its Person of the Year Award in 1991. I was also elected to the Notre Dame Alumni Board of Directors for a three-year term representing 12 Alumni Clubs in Texas, Oklahoma and Eastern New Mexico.
Shele and I have three children, who are all married. Karey Jane and Mike Prete live in Austin, as does Lawrence and Jodi Leach. Kelly and Cork Van Den Handle live here in Dallas. Kelly was the 1990 Texas Rose, and represented us well in Tralee. We spoil our four granddaughters and two grandsons.
We have traced my Mother’s family, the Doyle’s, from Wexford, and Buncloudy back to the 1600’s (Brother Jack did research) Jack, sister Margaret and I visit our cousins when in Ireland.

Lary Leach