Obituary of Robin E. O'Leary

     Robin Elizabeth (Myrick) O’Leary was born in Warwick, Rhode Island, on February 14th 1947, the daughter of Elizabeth Cook and Harrison Myrick.  In her early teens, she moved to Long Island and attended Farmingdale High School, where she graduated with the class of 1965.  She went on to pursue her Bachelor’s in Speech Pathology and Audiology at the University of Rhode Island, where she graduated, with high honors, in 1969.  She further pursued a Master’s in the same field at both Queens College and Hofstra University.  She also held several current licenses and certificates including an LSP.
In 1967 Robin met her future husband, Tom, while she was home for the summer and working at Nickelson’s market in Levittown (and he was buying milk).  
In 1971 she married Tom, and they eventually settled in Huntington in 1976.  Her daughter, Lauren, was born in 1980, her son, Thomas, in 1983, and her son, Michael, in 1988.  
Although she is predeceased by her older brother, George, formally of Scituate, Rhode Island, her mother, Elizabeth (Betty), who will be 102 in January, still lives in Huntington.   
Robin worked for the Middle Country School District as a Speech and Language Pathologist for over 30 years and was a well loved and respected faculty member.  At North Colman Road Elementary School, she also enjoyed decorating the bulletin boards in the hallways for holidays and special occasions.
More recently, she worked in private practice servicing pre-school children in the Huntington area and with local agencies such as Up Wee Grow, Head Start, and O’Connell and Selig.  Robin’s passion was working with children – especially those with language and learning disabilities.  During a career that spanned more than 50 years, she worked with thousands of children, some of whom she still kept in touch with decades later.  
Robin’s favorite pastimes included volunteering with the Huntington High School Marching Band, which she did for over a decade as her three children all participated.  She also enjoyed baking, especially cookies, for family and friends.  Her biggest baking season was Christmastime when she often baked over 2,000 cookies using New England recipes from her mother and grandmother.  Robin loved living in Huntington and spent a good amount of time socializing with friends and neighbors in the village.  Some of her favorite spots were Papillon Salon, Kim’s Nails, Value Drug, Francine’s and Southdown Supermarket because of all the lovely folks who worked there.
Robin spent many of her childhood summers in Rindge, New Hampshire, and Friendship, Maine.  When her father settled in Fitzwilliam New Hampshire, Robin frequently visited the area forming a long-lasting bond with the Monadnock Region.  She and her children would visit the small town of Peterborough at least once per year enjoying the fall foliage and local shops (and always stopping at Yankee Candle on the way up I-91!)  While her kids were growing up, Robin and her family spent much of their time with her mother and stepfather, Bob, at their home in Lloyd Harbor, having bar-b-ques, walking in Caumsett State Park, and spending lazy summer days at the Lloyd Harbor beach.  
Besides her family, the love of Robin’s life was her Jeep Wrangler.  Through the years, she drove her share of fun cars from her first, a 1961 Chevy Corvair convertible, to her 1968 Dodge Dart convertible, her 1971 Mercury Cougar, 1980 cherry red Chevy Camaro, 1981 Corvette, and her first Jeep, a white 1989 Wrangler complete with a hand-painted tire cover featuring Casper the Friendly Ghost.  During the summers Robin loved putting on the soft top, taking out the windows, and cruising down to Robert Moses State Beach.  Robin’s latest car was a 2014 Wrangler that she loved dearly.  Robin loved driving and, during her life, frequently drove all over New England visiting family.  She would even take day trips from Long Island to New Hampshire to visit her sons in college.    
The Huntington community was so important to Robin. She was a member of the St. John’s Episcopal Church parish in Huntington village for over 40 years.  She sang in the choir, was an usher, and attended the 8am service with her daughter.  When her daughter, Lauren, was younger, Robin was one of the leaders of Girl Scout Troop 589 as well as an active member of school PTAs and The HHS Band Parents’ Association.  She was endlessly involved in her son Tom’s sporting events from the time he played in St. Hugh’s youth soccer program to his successful high school career in both lacrosse and soccer.  Additionally, she truly enjoyed helping her son, Mike, in his quest to become an Eagle Scout.
From her family that she tirelessly supported in so many ways, to the friends and neighbors she held so dearly, to the many, many children she helped learn to speak during her career, Robin made a remarkable difference in every life she touched during her 71 short years with us.