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Off-duty Chicago firefighter killed in crash
Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:
Timothy John O’Leary, a 54-year-old firefighter with the Chicago Fire Department, died in a tragic car accident on Tuesday night, marking the end of a career that spanned nearly three decades. His journey to becoming a firefighter began when he was just 18, after a car crash in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, left him with a broken leg. The way firefighters handled his injury left a lasting impression on him, inspiring him to pursue a career in emergency services.
O’Leary’s wife, Laura Bundy-O’Leary, shared her heartbreak following the incident. “He was my best friend and my love. We had plans for the future. He was going to retire in a year, but now it’s all over,†she said by phone on Friday afternoon. She described how O’Leary had been working on installing shelving in their home in Wisconsin that day and had planned to make a quick trip to a storage locker before returning for dinner. But he never came back.
Around 9:20 p.m. on Tuesday, O’Leary was driving a Toyota SUV south on Interstate 43 near Wisconsin Route 140 when he rear-ended a semi-truck. Emergency responders found his vehicle wedged beneath the truck, with the rear window shattered. A paramedic climbed through the broken glass to reach O’Leary while firefighters cut open the driver’s side door. “As soon as we got him out of the vehicle, he was on a backboard, on a stretcher, and in an ambulance in less than a minute,†one of the responding officers said. He was taken to Beloit Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10:18 p.m. Tuesday.
Bundy-O’Leary spent hours searching for her husband after he failed to return calls or texts. At around 2 a.m., she had a chilling feeling that something was wrong. She called hospitals, police, even jails, trying to retrace his steps. Then, she said, “I think he’s dead.†Soon after, her stepson confirmed the worst news — Wisconsin state police had arrived at their home with the heartbreaking update.
O’Leary, who grew up on the Northwest Side of Chicago, came from a large Irish family with five siblings. He is survived by his wife, three children, and two stepchildren. His son, John, followed in his father’s footsteps, completing a two-year paramedic program at Loyola University Medical Center and currently attending the police academy. “For 32 years, he served Chicago,†Bundy-O’Leary said. “He even had babies named after him after he delivered them or found them in garbage cans.â€
His colleagues remembered him as a dedicated and compassionate firefighter. Capt. Sam Kamberis, who worked with O’Leary at Engine 125, described him as “very committed†to his job. “He would give you the shirt off his back and the skin if you needed it,†Bundy-O’Leary added. “He made me laugh, and he had beautiful eyes.â€
A visitation will be held from 3 to 9 p.m. on Monday at Cumberland Chapels, 8300 W. Lawrence Ave., followed by a service at 10 a.m. on Tuesday at St. Eugene Parish, 7958 W. Foster Ave. O’Leary’s legacy will live on through those he touched during his life and career.