Joyce Ann (Brown) O'Leary

Joyce Ann Brown O’Leary, 70, of Brandenburg, died on July 3, 2023, at her home.

She was a Meade County native who lived and worked in several states before returning home about 25 years ago, then retired after working as deputy clerk in the Meade County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office. She was an independent thinker who was steadfast in her convictions, able to put herself in others’ shoes, and fiercely loyal to those she loved.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Raymond and Margaret Mary “Blondie” Metcalf Brown; her first husband, Larry Hager; a niece, Margaret Ann Byerley; and her Boston terrier, Cassie.

She is survived by her daughter, Megan O’Leary, of Louisville; her sisters Lois (Paul) Byerley, of Louisville, Margaret (Michael) Bennett and June Brown, of Brandenburg, and Deanna (John) Simcoe and Mary Michelle Yager, of Elizabethtown; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and loved ones.

When she was about 19, she began dating Larry Hager, who was soon diagnosed with terminal cancer. They decided to get married in May 1973, and he died a few months later.

While working at Fort Knox, she met her second husband, Tom O’Leary, who was active duty. They married in June 1976 and lived in several cities, including Paris, Tennessee; Terre Haute, Indiana; Schenectady, New York; Long Island, New York, where Megan was born; Deerfield, Illinois; Lowville, New York; and Exton, Pennsylvania. She worked a series of good government jobs and made many nice friends along the way.

In recent years, she became a voracious reader, often staying up late into the night, and rereading the “Harry Potter” series many times. She always tried to stay active, either walking, doing yoga or, later, taking Zumba classes three times a week.  

After moving back to Kentucky, she eventually bought a house next door to her sister June, a few miles from the house where she grew up. Almost everything in the house, from the furniture to the laundry basket to a trash can in the kitchen, was stuff she had used for decades — no need to replace it, if it still worked.

On the walls, she hung many pictures of Megan, whom she called the light of her life. 

Joyce believed in family and forgiveness. Her favorite role of all time was that of motherhood. She leaves a lasting legacy of love, laughter and joy to her family and friends.

 A graveside service to celebrate Joyce’s life will be held at 12:30 PM on Friday, July 7, 2023, at St. Martin of Tours Cemetery in Flaherty, KY, with Father Toan Do officiating.  Public visitation will be held at Hager Funeral Home in Brandenburg from 1:00 PM until 8:00 PM on Thursday.  Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to the University of Louisville School of Medicine for Cancer Research or to Hosparus of Central Kentucky. 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Joyce Ann (Brown) O'Leary, please visit our floral store.