Timothy Patrick O'Leary - Dedication and Drive                  by Tamara Blodgett

Dedication and drive follow him wherever he goes…

Born in September of 1989 in Anchorage, Alaska, Timmy was raised his first eleven years in the same residence in Wasilla. His father, Tim, is a long-term employee with Beluga Electric and has a shift that takes him away from his family for a week at a time. This unusual schedule, in part, made it a possibility to live in this remote jewel of a location. The family was ready for a change and after visiting Seldovia on holiday they bought a fledgling restaurant and made Seldovia home. Upon arriving in the summer of 2001, a lot of hard work greeted them. They landed in the high time of tourist season and the family began to toil together to make the business a success. With Timmy being the second child of five, there was plenty of ‘controlled chaos’ as a learning tool! Timmy said his childhood memories of Wasilla were raising a ruckus and as much noise as he could make with his three main friends. That stood him in good stead when the restaurant was humming with activity and all his family buzzed around to serve others. There was never a dull moment!

Timmy was a “ soccer hound” while living in Wasilla. He used to make fun of all the basketball players. He grew tall quickly and when he landed in Seldovia he did decided that he liked basketball after all! Junior high basketball coach, Alvin Swick, was no small influence on Timmy’s newfound appreciation especially when the 6 th grader was over 5’7” tall!

Timmy thinks his parents’ involvement in the emergency service arena of volunteer FIRE and EMS has given him the desire to help out in this capacity in the community. His dad was a former youth pastor with the Palmer Church of God. Those extended experiences with his father, and the youth of that group helped lay the spiritual foundation that continues so strongly today.

When his parents originally proposed the move Timmy was excited about the change. Some of his friends had moved away and he felt like he was ready for a change and welcomed it. Timmy said that, “Seldovia was the best thing that happened to him.” He’s come to the realization that he is not always right, but can listen and integrate the different opinions of others. He has enjoyed and valued the friendships he made here and feels like they’re the best of his life. Timmy’s view on sports has evolved dramatically and he feels that every sport offers a unique way to have fun.

When asked what his favorite thing is to do when he has a little time to himself his words can be summarized pretty simply as: Timmy most enjoys getting to know people he can get closer to; close friends or family members benefit from his attention; still waters run deep (emphasis mine).

Timmy hopes to work in the service-related field locally this summer where he can enjoy working with people.

[ Editorial comment: It has been our distinct privilege to get to know this young man as a wrestler, best friend to my son, and the finest human being. Our family wishes him the best of fortune as he ventures out onto the path he has chosen. We love you Timmy. ]