Dunleavey, Francis B.

Francis Barry Dunleavey, known to all as Barry, grew up in Canton on Sherman Street. His life’s adventures would take him far and wide, but his final wish was to come home to Canton and to be buried near his parents, the late Frank S. and Gertrude E. Dunleavey, in St. Mary’s Cemetery.

Barry died on March 6, 2024, peacefully, in New York City, surrounded by his family. He was 92.

It’s difficult to sum up a life so well lived, because Barry was focused on living it. If he had a motto, it might have been: “Where can I make a difference?” Born on August 22, 1931, in North Adams, Barry joined the Marines in 1951, served in Korea, and was honorably discharged in 1953. Although he spent the next several years studying to join the Maryknoll order, he ultimately moved to New York City to embark on what would become a lifelong passion for acting, writing, and directing.

In 1964, he met Margaret (Peg) née Dowd, and raised their son and daughter in northern Manhattan. In the 1970s, while continuing to perform and direct, he founded a community newspaper there called Heights-Inwood, to create awareness of the pressing issues in that area.

With everything he did, Barry always made time for those he loved, including a wide circle of friends — which only grew wider with time. When he moved to Deming, New Mexico, at the age of 73, he brought his can-do spirit with him: teaching writing, forming a theater group, and producing a play called “Give Us This Day,” based on a memoir of the Bataan Death March in World War II. Many soldiers who suffered in Bataan were from that part of New Mexico, and the play touched many hearts.

In 2016, Barry decided to return to the Northeast to be closer to his children and siblings, nieces and nephews. As a friend noted, “When Barry left, it seemed as if everything stopped.” If you knew him, though, you’d know that Barry wouldn’t want anything to stop. In his quiet, humorous way, Barry would cheer you on, urging you to pursue the “thing that makes you want to get up in the morning.”

Barry is survived by his son, Andrew Dunleavey, and daughter-in-law Deirdre (Scanlon); his daughter MP Dunleavey, son-in-law Matthew Perry, and grandson Connor Dunleavey Perry; his former wife, Peg Dunleavey; and brothers Philip Dunleavey, Michael Dunleavey, and John Dunleavey and their families. His sister Joan M. Condon passed away in 2019; his brother James R. Dunleavey in 2000.

There will be a funeral Mass on Saturday, May 11, at 10 a.m. in St. Oscar Romero Church in Canton. All are welcome.

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Posted by Canton Citizen on May 9 2024. Filed under Obituaries. Both comments and pings are currently closed.