John T. Dunleavy, Chairman, New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade

Born in Coole, Co. Westmeath in 1938 John Dunleavy grew up during the War years in what he described as "a beautiful little village with no luxuries."  Yet his community was one of the first to get electricity in the 1940s because it had a hospital – before then, he did his homework by candlelight, and used an oil lamp “only when a visitor came into the house.’ John’s father ran a taxi service and a small store in the village. 

John attended the Coole National School, which bordered the gable end of his house. Because the school was about ten feet from his house  “I couldn’t mitch [skip school],” but some days his father would keep him home to help cut turf, hiding him in the back of his car so the schoolmaster wouldn’t see. He remembers it as the hardest he’d ever worked in his life, but also as a time when everyone was happy and “you never complained.”

As a young man, he left his native Ireland for London in 1956 and worked as a driver of double-decker buses. "It cost a lot of money to get to America in those days," John recalled. "Many of the Irish worked in London and used England a stepping stone across the Atlantic." 

In 1963, Dunleavy finally made it to the U.S. and  “After about two or three days of looking at four walls, I was bored to deaunknownth. My cousins and I decided to try the subway for the first time. We were terrified of getting lost…and I found the Irish Institute on 48th Street, which had an employment agency. So I got myself a job.”  

However, after just three months in America, Dunleavy was drafted into the army and assigned to the 65th Engineer Battalion, 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii. He served two years before heading back to the states to once again begin his new life. John remembers having only a single quarter in his pocket.  “I held that quarter tight until the ship passed under the Golden Gate Bridge and then I knew I was home.  I took that quarter and bought myself a Coca-Cola.” Tears would build in his eyes every time he told the story, and he always ended it with the words “God bless, America.”  It was a term he used often and with conviction for the remainder of his life.

Upon his discharge, Dunleavy joined the Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authorityas a bus operator and retired, after 25 years of service in 1990, as a General Superintendent.  By mere coincidence, a co-worker, Frank Beirne, told Dunleavy that volunteers were needed to organize marchers at the formation point of the NYC Saint Patrick’s Day Parade. That was the start of four decades of volunteer work during which he held many offices, including formation chairman, treasurer, and vice chairman before taking over as chairman in 1993.

When John first became chairman, he ran the whole operation for the Parade out of his home. He is credited with obtaining a small office in the Bronx and brought on new board members to assist in handling the huge logistic items that are now part of the Parade operations. John is responsible for the parade continued success and increase in size. 

Early on in the technology era, John recognized the value of the internet and authorized webcasting of the Parade worldwide, an event that resulted in over two million visitors to  the Parade website in it’s first year. Dunleavy was honored to receive letters from people from all over the world who were finally able to watch the parade.  Many of these letter expressed astonishment at how large the Parade is. He credits the all-volunteer St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee for making the event comes together so well. "On parade day, it's out of my hands. There are 160,000 marchers and over 2 million spectators on the avenue’.

Since his first parade in 1967, Dunleavy has been associated with some of the key moments in it’s the parade’s history. One of Dunleavy’s defining moments as chairman was also the largest year for the parade in history: 2002, less than a year after 9/11. “The amount of participation in that parade was awesome,” he says. “I sat down with the city officials and proposed that we stop the parade and have everybody turn and face southward to where the Twin Towers used to be. The officials said there was no way we’d be able to do it, but we notified every person in the parade to stop and stand at 12:28.“At 12:28, the whole parade stopped in place and Cardinal Egan (that year’s Grand Marshal) led the prayer. And at exactly 12:30, every single person made a 180-degree turn. There were approximately 90,000 people on the avenue, another 70-80,000 in the formation area, and another 3 million people on the sidewalks. And every one of them turned around and faced south. You could hear a pin drop. President Mary McAleese was there and she said she’s witnessed a lot of things, but never in her life had she seen anything like that.”  

John would tell you that the greatest gift he received as Parade Chairman was the people he met along the way.  He became close personal friends with honorary “Irish Americans” from every corner of the globe. Each year, Dunleavy would proudly tell you that there are 15 Saint Patrick’s Day Parades in Japan as he introduced you to his friend Mr. Hiedki, the man behind the Japaneze parades. He was equally happy to present Tony Sanchez from Galecia, Spain, who helped bring a Celtic bagpipe band to NYC every year. He even helped long time friends, Pat and Bernie Troy, with the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Alexandria, Virginia.

But as a veteran, John was most humbled to host many two, three and four star generals from every branch of service.  Under John’s leadership, the country’s most elite military bands and color guards began marching in the Parade. It was through these efforts that John was invited to prestigious events in Washington DC including the annual Wreath Laying at Arlington Cemetery, events in the Capital Building, and private tours of the Pentagon and the Sentinnal at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  He even shared a family dinner at the home of the Commanding General of Military District Washington. However, nothing was more important to him than the many friendships he made in Washington, from General Martin Dempsey down to the people who organized military support behind the sceens.   

 Despite tireless, year-round work on the Parade, John fully engaged in his two passions G&G - Golfing and Gardening.  John grew up playing hurling and because of that played golf cross handed and able to use right and left handed clubs.  As an active member of the Gaelic Golf Club, his golfing adventures took him to place like St. Andrew’s in Scotland, Killarney in Co. Kerry, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Pebble Beach, CA, and Myrtle Beach, SC.  

John was very proud of being a founding member of “The Links” at Unionvale, an 18-hole championship course in Dutchess County, New York. "We're very proud that our sign reads Céad Míle Fáilte. It’s a little bit of Ireland on 200 acres with no trees and a view of the Catskills," John says. Subsequently, The Links of Unionvale awarded him a “Doctorate of Horticulture” because he treated “the plants suffering from starvation and frost bite, worked diligently to preserve those who may find an untimely death due to neglect and brought back life at the beginning of each season with his love and care.”

John Dunleavy served the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) in many capacities, including president of both New York Division 9 and the New York County Board. Long active in the cause of Irish freedom, he has received many honors over the years. Two of his most cherished memories came when in March of 2000, when he was appointed an honorary member of the 69th Regiment, "The Fighting Irish Brigade," by the Secretary of the Army and in 2010 when he laid wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery and the National Air Force Memorial in honor of all the fallen Irish Americans who paid the unlimited sacrifice in the service of this country. 

As an immigrant, John fiercely believed in giving back. Among the many charitble efforts he supported, Dunleavy’s true passion was helping the annual Taste of Guatamala event and working with his friend Jim Mularkey of the Catholic War Veterans to facilitate military funerals for impoverish veterans.  

John is survived by his wife of 55 years, Maureen Kellett, of Virginia, Co. Cavan, their two daughters, Catherine and husband Arthur Holzman, and Patricia and husband Howard Bishop five grandchildren Charlie and wife Jessica, Jonathan, Arthur-Ryan, Sean and Madison, great-granddaughter Lyra Rose, and siblings Maureen Smith of Nottingham, England, Patsy Dunleavy of Castlepollard, Co. Westmeath,  Mel Dunleavy and wife Colette of Coole, Co. Westmeath, five nephews and many other extended family members in Ireland and England.  He predeceased by his sisters Eithne Dunleavy, Catherine Arnold, and grandson Addison Patrick Bishop. 

Family will receive friends Sunday, October 30, 2022 from 2-7 p.m. at Riverdale-on-Hudson Funeral Home, 6110 Riverdale Avenue, Bronx NY.  Mass of Christian Burial Monday, October 31, 2022 at 9:45 a.m. at St. Margaret of Cortona Church, 6000 Riverdale Avenue, Bronx NY. Interment at Gate of Heaven Cemetery.