Marty Leary

Martin Frederick Leary passed away peacefully April 11, 2024 in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Marty was born in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1950 to Catherine and James Leary. He attended  Cathedral High School and after graduation joined the U. S. Army. He served his country in a variety of capacities. He was wounded in Vietnam, dealing with the ramifications of those wounds throughout his life. He continued to serve with tours in Germany and a variety of posts in the United States. He retired as a Sergeant First Class. He volunteered for the Saint Vincent DePaul Society, assisting the homeless and providing holiday meals to the needy in his community. He was a member of the Disabled American Veterans and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

He is survived by his son Timothy and son Patrick, grandchildren Brennan and Destiny, and great granddaughter Serenity . He is also survived by his wife of 38 years Rose Leary, children Ryan McGinnis and his wife Tara, and Rachel Helveston and her husband John, and grandchildren Rayna and Griffin. He is also survived by his sister Noreen Gallagher Smith, Austin, Texas, brother James, Charlotte, North Carolina, sister Denise, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, sister Frances, Muhlhausen, Germany, sister Tracy, Phoenix, Arizona, and sister Clare, Fort Myers, Florida. He is predeceased by his sister Molly, sister Catherine Leary SSJ, and brother John.

Marty will be remembered fondly by all who knew him. He was quick to set everyone at ease and could be counted upon for his generosity and love of life. He was a true raconteur, mesmerizing any group with stories of his misadventures, always generating hearty laughs. He was a proud veteran always going out of his way to assist others in need. His passing leaves a giant void in the hearts of his family and friends.

A Celebration of Life will be held from 10:00 AM until 12:00 PM, Friday, April 26, 2024 at the chapel of Chism Family Funeral Home, Vine Grove, KY. A private burial will be held at the Kentucky Veterans Cemetery Central, Radcliff, KY.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Disabled American Veterans  at http://help.dav.org or to the James and Catherine Germain Leary endowment at Elms College, 291 Springfield St, Chicopee, MA 01013.

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