Harold O’Callaghan Jr.
Harold Augustus O’Callaghan Jr., 85, a resident of Rye, New York, Hobe Sound Florida, and Nantucket, Massachusetts, passed away on July 4, 2018. His spirit was huge and his kindness toward every person he met lasted until the very end. “H”, as he was known, was a consummate gentleman and a devoted family man.
He graduated from The Lawrenceville School and Duke University and served in the United States Marine Corps as a First Lieutenant stationed in Hawaii. It was one of his proudest accomplishments.
He had a successful career at a family-owned business, Universal Builders Supply, alongside his father Harold A. O’Callaghan Sr. and his brother R.A. (Tony) O’Callaghan. Universal was an industry-leading steel supply company providing scaffolding, shoring, and forming concrete accessories and hoisting for some of the country’s highest profile projects, including the Statute of Liberty and the Washington Monument.
Mr. O’Callaghan served on the board of The Lawrenceville School, where he chaired the Property Committee for many years, overseeing the construction of many new buildings that make the campus what it is today. He was a member of Sankaty Head Golf Club in Nantucket and Loblolly Golf Club in Florida.
Among his favorite pastimes were clamming, fishing, boating, swimming, beach picnics, golf, backgammon, and following the New York Giants and the Yankees.
Legendary for his sense of humor, he had unending charm and a huge heart. He loved and was devoted to his wife, children, and grandchildren. They were the world to him and he enjoyed nothing more than being together with the whole group for the holidays. H had many friends all over the world who loved hearing his latest jokes and who were lucky enough to see the magic and feel the warmth he exuded.
He is survived by his wife, Tricia O’Callaghan; his sons, Harold A. (Cal) O’Callaghan and his wife Catherine, Brian A. O’Callaghan (Suzanne), Michael O’Callaghan (Cherie), Daniel S. O’Callaghan (Diane); his daughter, Karen O’Callaghan Horan (Fred); and his beloved step-son, Timothy Higgins and his wife Elizabeth. He is also survived by his 14 grandchildren; his brother Tony O’Callaghan (MaryEl); and his sister Diane O’Callaghan Nelson (Ed). He was predeceased by a brother, John O’Callaghan.
He was predeceased by his parents, Harold and Julia O’Callaghan, and a brother, John O’Callaghan of Mamaroneck.
A Mass of Christian burial was held July 7 at St. Gregory the Great in Harrison.
The family welcomes donations be made in his honor to the Katie Higgins Fund, Convent of the Sacred Heart, 1177 King Street, Greenwich, Conn., or Burke Rehabilitation, 785 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, NY 10605.
