Judy O'Leary-Meacham

Judith Brown O’Leary Meacham died peacefully at Massachusetts General Hospital on June 9, 2021, due to complications from an aortic aneurysm. She was 81 years old. Known as “Jude,” “Judy,” or “Grandma Jude,” she was widely recognized as a role model and mentor for young people, and for her work as a champion of children, parents, and families.

Over a 40-year career as a professional and volunteer advocate for youth, community organizer, parenting skills educator, and proponent of substance abuse prevention, she served in a number of roles, including executive director of Communities in Action in Stamford, CT; a youth coordinator for RYASAP (Regional Youth Adult Social Action Partnership) in Bridgeport, CT, and for the City of Stamford Youth Services Bureau; a member of the board of education in Trumbull, CT; co-founder of the Connecticut Network for Developing Capable Young People; president of the Middlebrook School PTA; an advocate for school desegregation for the State of Connecticut; and an educator for nursing mothers in greater Philadelphia. Two of her signature accomplishments were the creation of alcohol-free “post-prom” celebrations organized by high school students, and theatrical productions, performed by diverse casts of high school and elementary students from Bridgeport and Trumbull, paying tribute to the poet Langston Hughes and the trailblazing politician Felisa Rincón de Gautier. Among the recognitions she received were the YWCA’s Salute to Women of Achievement and the Trumbull Humanitarian Award.

A passionate lifelong learner, Judy loved any book or television show about animals or the cosmos. She was known for forming fast, close connections with virtually everyone she met, particularly in her later years with doctors, nurses, and caregivers of all kinds whose support she appreciated with expressions of love and gratitude. She was known as “larger than life,” especially for her belly laugh, her bold choices in fashion and accessorizing, and her vocal love of performances of all kinds, especially music. Judy most of all delighted in seeing children achieve their potential, whether they were her own family or the countless young people she mentored, collaborated with, believed in, and advocated for over the years.

She graduated from Landsdowne Aldan High School in 1958 and attended Millersville College. She is survived by her three children—Amy O’Leary of Boston, MA, Justin O’Leary of Larchmont, NY, and Timothy O’Leary of Washington, DC—as well as her two beloved daughters-in-law, Anna O’Leary and Kara O’Leary, and her four adored grandchildren, Rose, Ella, Caroline, and James. She is also survived by her sister, Susan Fahrnbach; several cousins, nieces, and nephews; and many friends, especially her neighbors Arthur, Deb, and Odirlei, and others in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, and on Pot Pie Road in Wittman, Maryland. She was preceded in death by her first husband, James O’Leary; her second husband, Bob Meacham; and her parents, Florence Short Brown and Preston Brown.

A celebration of life is scheduled for Friday, July 16 at 1 PM at the First Congregational Church, 2301 Main Street, Stratford, CT 06615 . The family has suggested that remembrances can be made in the form of contributions to the charitable organization of your choice or to RYASAP (Regional Youth Adult Social Action Partnership) in Bridgeport, CT (ryasap.org).

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