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Off-duty Chicago firefighter killed in crash
Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:
Timothy John O’Leary’s journey to becoming a firefighter began when he was just 18 years old. He was a passenger in a car that crashed in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, and was deeply moved by how firefighters handled his broken leg during the incident. This experience inspired him to pursue a career in emergency services, eventually leading him to join the Chicago Fire Department.
Years later, tragedy struck again—this time, not far from where it all began. O’Leary, 54, was driving a Toyota SUV south on Interstate 43 near Wisconsin Route 140 around 9:20 p.m. on Tuesday when he collided with the back of a semi-truck. The impact was severe, and the SUV became wedged under the trailer. Firefighters arrived quickly and managed to extract O’Leary from the wreckage.
“He was my best friend and my love. We had big plans for the future. He was about to retire, but now it’s all over,†said his wife, Laura Bundy-O’Leary, in an emotional phone call on Friday afternoon.
O’Leary had been working on installing shelving at a home they own in Wisconsin earlier that day. He told his wife he’d be back in time for dinner after making a quick trip to a storage locker. When he didn’t return as expected, she assumed he had gone back to their Chicago home, where new windows were scheduled to be installed the next morning.
As the hours passed and he didn’t respond to calls or texts, Bundy-O’Leary grew increasingly worried. She tried reaching out to hospitals, police, and even jails, retracing his steps. At 2 a.m., she had a chilling realization. “I called hospitals, I called police, I even called jails. And then I said, ‘I think he’s dead.’†Soon after, her stepson confirmed the worst—Wisconsin state police had arrived at their home with the devastating news.
O’Leary came from a large Irish family and had five siblings. He and his wife have three children and two stepchildren. His son, John, followed in his father’s footsteps by enrolling in a two-year paramedic program at Loyola University Medical Center, with hopes of one day becoming a firefighter. For now, he is attending the police academy.
“Tim served Chicago for 32 years. He even had babies named after him because he delivered them or found them in garbage cans,†Bundy-O’Leary shared. “He was truly loved by everyone. He would give you the shirt off his back—and the skin if you needed it.â€
O’Leary spent nearly 30 years with the Chicago Fire Department, and his former captain, Sam Kamberis, described him as a dedicated and compassionate firefighter. His legacy will live on through the lives he touched.
A visitation for O’Leary will take place from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday at Cumberland Chapels, 8300 W. Lawrence Ave. A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday at St. Eugene Parish, 7958 W. Foster Ave.