John O'Leary (ambassador)

For other people named John O'Leary, see John O'Leary (disambiguation).

John O'Leary (January 16, 1947 – April 2, 2005) served as mayor of Portland, Maine, and as United States ambassador to Chile under President Bill Clinton.

John O'Leary
United States Ambassador to Chile
In office August 19, 1998 – June 29, 2001
President	Bill Clinton George W. Bush
Preceded by	Gabriel Guerra-Mondragón
Succeeded by	William R. Brownfield
Mayor of Portland, Maine
In office 1980–1981
Preceded by	Llewellyn Smith
Succeeded by	Pamela Plumb
Personal details
Born	January 16, 1947  Portland, Maine
Died	April 2, 2005(2005-04-02) (aged 58)  Washington, D.C.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Patricia Cepeda

Personal life

O'Leary was born in Portland and graduated from Yale University in 1969. He later attended Clare College, Cambridge University, on a Mellon fellowship and received a master's degree in 1971. He received a degree from Yale Law School in 1974. While studying at Yale Law, O'Leary acted as a coach for the Yale debate team. He then went on to a private law practice.

O'Leary married a fellow Yale student, Patricia Cepeda, the daughter of Colombian writer Álvaro Cepeda Samudio.^[1] John and Patricia O'Leary had two daughters. The O'Learys endowed the John O'Leary and Patricia Cepeda Fellowship for the Study of Latin America at Yale College. he died of motor neurone disease in DC in April 2005 at 58

Political career

He served as a member of the Portland City Council 1975-82) and for a term as that city's largely ceremonial Mayor (1980–81). He ran unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. House from Maine's First Congressional District in 1982, losing in the Democratic primary.^[2] O'Leary served as the United States Ambassador to Chile from 1998 to 2001.^[3]