Advertisement. Advertise with us

IN MEMORIAM

Terrance O. O’Hara

Oct. 28, 1948 – May 18, 2020

Terry O’Hara

ONEONTA – How does one even begin to tell the story of someone like Terry and keep it brief?   He was born Oct. 28, 1948 in Oneonta, the youngest son of Thomas P. and Margaret A. (Schoeller) O’Hara.  He met his wife, Cindy, at Plattekill Mountain and they were married May 26, 1979, in the Jay Gould Memorial Church, Roxbury.

Terry was known for his adventurous spirit, his smile and the glint in his eyes.  As a proud Irishman, he was never without a joke to tell, or a story to share.  He had patience, was a great listener with compassion and respect for others and he always wanted to make people smile, and –  wow – did he know how to be a good friend.

Family meant everything to him as he was so proud of his Irish heritage, the history of his family’s homeland across the sea, songs and music from Ireland, pints of Guinness, and making sure that his grandchildren would grow up proud to be Irish.  He always reminded his boys to remember where they came from, and what their name is, that knowledge is power and, most importantly, that family does matter – even if they had really upset you at times.

Equipped with his Leatherman and his mini Maglite, he was always ready to assist with any problem, as he was a fixer of many things.  He enjoyed making his Sunday morning breakfast, and was famous for his BBQ ribs.  He was athletic; played football, wrestled, gracefully danced, ice skated, and loved skiing.  As a Plattekill ski school instructor, he helped countless people fall in love with the sport and the mountain for over 30 years.

Terry spent his career in the banking industry and most recently as the site supervisor for Otsego County Habitat for Humanity.  He was involved in many charitable organizations, including the Oneonta Elks #1312 (PER), the Sixth Ward Athletic Club, lifetime member of the American Legion, the Ancient Order of Hibernians.  He was a loyal volunteer at the annual Great American Irish Festival for many years, as well as for Catskill Area Hospice & Palliative Care.   He was a 1966 Unatego High School graduate and served in the U.S. Army as Specialist 5, Radar Repairman.

He is survived by his wife of almost 41 years, Cindy (Dysart); his sons, Kelly of Otego, Conor and his wife, Alley, of Ramsey, N.J., and Casey and his soul mate, Sara Bissaillon of Catskill; his beautiful grandchildren, RileyAnn, Lilian and Ada O’Hara, Caiden and Jack O’Hara, and Julian O’Hara; his mother, Margaret O’Hara of Otego (who will be turning 100 May 24); his brother, Tim of Cliffside Park, N.J.; his loving nieces and nephews and their children, many cousins, a bounty of great friends that he made throughout his life, and his faithful border collie, Belle.  He was predeceased by his father, Thomas P. O’Hara, and his brother, Thomas P. O’Hara, Jr and his wife, Kathleen.

Terry’s family is deeply touched by the determination of the A.O. Fox Memorial staff and to all of the Bassett Healthcare ICU/SCU medical support staff who provided support to our loved one, and their heartfelt compassion provided to them during this very difficult time.  You are heroes and will never be forgotten.

Life is shorter than you think.  Have that beer, hug the people close to you and tell them you care about them and love them – tell them often. Terry was a gregarious Irishman who loved life.  He leaves a void that will be impossible to fill.

 

The family will have a celebration of Terry’s life and interment at a later date when it is safe to gather.

 

To sign the online guestbook, visit, www.lhpfuneralhome.com, the website of Lewis, Hurley & Pietrobono Funeral Home, 51 Dietz St., Oneonta.

 

In lieu of flowers, the family ask that you consider donating to the Otsego County Habitat for Humanity, 403 B Chestnut St, Oneonta, NY  13820 or consider giving gift certificates from local eateries to one of the many health care professionals risking their lives to help save you and others.

Sláinte!

Posted

2 Comments

  1. My oldest friend may have moved on, but Terry & the memories I have of our growing up together will remain with me always. I will be forever grateful that we saw each other last year, shared some great memories, & a hug. May peace be with you until we meet again…
    Love, Carol

  2. Terry and I became friend over the past few years as instructors at Plattekill Mountain. Everything written above is 100% correct, and I was lucky to have experienced Terry’s humor, stories, and zest for life. I will miss him greatly.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Related Articles

SCOLINOS: It’s All We Need To Know: Home Plate 17 Inches Wide

COLUMN VIEW FROM THE GAME It’s All We Need To Know: Home Plate 17 Inches Wide Editor’s Note:  Tim Mead, incoming Baseball Hall of Fame president, cited John Scolinos, baseball coach at his alma mater, Cal Poly Pomona, as a lifelong inspiration, particularly Scolinos’ famous speech “17 Inches.” Chris Sperry, who published sperrybaseballlife.com, heard Scolinos deliver a version in 1996 at the American Baseball Coaches Association in Nashville, and wrote this reminiscence in 1916 in his “Baseball Thoughts” column. By CHRIS SPERRY • from www.sperrybaseballlife.com In 1996, Coach Scolinos was 78 years old and five years retired from a college coaching…

Sports Can Resume, Superintendents Told

CLICK HERE FOR MEMO TO SCHOOLS Sports Can Resume, Superintendents Told COOPERSTOWN – In a memo released Friday evening, county Public Health Director Heidi Bond advised local school superintendents that sports can resume as early as Monday. “Effective Feb. 1, participants in higher-risk sports may participate in individual or distanced group training and organized no/low-contact group training,” Bond wrote, “…including competitions and tournaments, if permitted by local health authorities.”…

Piper Seamon Scores 1,000th point

1,000 THANKS! Piper Seamon 5th CCS Girl To Hit High Mark The Cooperstown Central student section erupts as Piper Seamon scores her 1,000th career point in the Hawkeyes’ 57-39 win over Waterville at home last evening. Seamon becomes the fifth girl and only the 14th player in school history overall to score 1,000 points.  Inset at right, Pipershares a hug with teammate Meagan Schuermann after the game was stopped to acknowledge her achievement. Seamon will play basketball next year at Hamilton College. (Cheryl Clough/AllOTSEGO.com)  …

Putting the Community Back Into the Newspaper

Now through March 30, new annual subscribers to “The Freeman’s Journal” and AllOtsego.com (or subscribers who have lapsed for two or more years) have an opportunity to help their choice of one of four Otsego County charitable organizations.

$5.00 of your subscription will be donated to the nonprofit of your choice:

Cooperstown Farmers’ Market, Cooperstown Food Pantry, Greater Oneonta Historical Society or Super Heroes Humane Society.