Continuing the Family Legacy

Linda Leary

For Dick Leary ‘49, community service was not a passing fancy, but a lifetime commitment; so, it is no surprise that his daughter Linda would be imprinted by this model of generous giving of self. Linda has been a lifelong resident of Brookline, where her father, Richard Leary ‘49, was Town Administrator for 25 years. Linda graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 1981. Shortly after, she began her career in banking, first, with Bank of New England and then with the global custodian, Brown Brothers Harriman & Company (BBH), where she completed 34 years of service and retired on July 1, 2021. While working at BBH, Linda had the opportunity to spend two years working in Luxembourg enabling her to travel throughout Europe and forge lifelong friendships. Stepping away from her workday routines has allowed Linda to shift her focus to how best to fulfill her retirement years with volunteer opportunities and providing financial support for institutions such as Malden Catholic. She has assumed that role with relish!

Linda witnessed firsthand her father’s commitment to community service, not just in Brookline, but also at Malden Catholic, where Dick was a longtime leadership donor through the Saint Francis Xavier Society. She recalls his life-long association with the school. “My dad’s true passion while attending Malden Catholic,” she says, “was hockey. He was a member of the 1948 Malden Catholic State Championship Hockey Team and the 1949 Catholic League Championship Team. Throughout his life, my dad regularly attended Malden Catholic events, including hockey games and the scholarship breakfasts that recognized donors. I often read the thank you notes sent to my dad from students who had benefited from the Richard T. Leary, Jr. Memorial Scholarship. The notes would reflect appreciation for the scholarship, but most importantly they revealed how the scholarship had relieved families of the financial challenges that they faced.” The commitment and dedication that her dad had for Malden Catholic made an impression on Linda, and she wanted to continue not only his gift giving, but also the personal interaction with the Malden Catholic community to show her appreciation for the school that had molded her dad into the caring and selfless person he became.

Like many others, Linda enjoyed attending our annual SFX Society Reception this past October. “While attending,” she says, “two words came to mind that truly reflect the spirit of Malden Catholic: community and camaraderie.”

How wonderful it was, she felt, that after a two-year pandemic-driven hiatus of the event, friends of the school could once again gather in person! “I could feel how thrilled people were to be back with their Malden Catholic friends,” she said. “It was palpable.” She surmises the reason: “Malden Catholic is more than a learning environment; it is a community that instills teamwork through the multiple programs of academics, athletics, and rich extracurriculars.”

Both from her father and from her own observations, Linda has studied and learned the Malden Catholic story well. “Beyond the community that Malden Catholic has built over the decades,” she relates, “it never loses sight of the individual and the sensitivity needed to nurture each student toward personal growth and development. When one visits the school,” she says, “the confidence of each student is obvious as each reaches out, whether to newcomers, or to returning alums, or to friends visiting for a special MC event such as a Gala or special reception.” She remembers one such reception, a book-signing, that took place in December of 2017. The Honorable Gerard F. Doherty ’46 of Charlestown, a friend of and advisor to the Kennedys, was showcasing his book, They Were My Friends - Jack, Bob and Ted: My Life In and Out of Politics. She was impressed by this “teaching moment,” one generation of Lancer imparting life-wisdom to those of several later generations! “One could see from this book signing,” she said, “how amazing it was that no matter how many years had passed, a distinguished alum like Mr. Doherty ’46 could return to the school that enabled him to accomplish great goals and impart to current students the opportunities awaiting them after their Malden Catholic education!” Now more than ever Linda believes it is important, not only to provide current support for Malden Catholic’s essential, immediate needs, but also to strengthen the school’s financial sustainability. She has done exactly that by joining the

Theodore James Ryken Society, the School’s vehicle for

planned giving. This support moves in many directions. It underwrites the maintenance and enhancement of facilities; it provides financial assistance that allows for expanded tuition relief, thereby increasing enrollment; at the same time, it helps maintain high standards of academic and extracurricular programming. Linda notes the excellence of these programs, reflected in impressive outcomes: prestigious college acceptances and the careers that take root in the nourishing soil of an MC foundation. She observes, “The successful addition of the Girls Division, capturing the old spirit of Girls Catholic, and the resulting burgeoning enrollments are clear testimony to the value that families place on the importance of a Catholic education.” Like her dad, Linda applauds this growth. She wants to support it and help to ensure the future of Malden Catholic, a school that has done so much for so many! We remember Dick Leary ’49 with love and thanksgiving, and we extend to Linda our deepest appreciation that she would so honor her father by memorializing at Malden Catholic his spirit of care and love.