Lawrence Richard O'Meara

Lawrence “Larry” O’Meara, 80, passed away on November 2, 2026, surrounded by his family.

Born May 3, 1946, in Chicago, Illinois, Larry attended Wauconda High School and graduated from Northern Illinois University in 1970. He set out to become a high school English teacher, and that same summer married Mary, his partner and the love of his life for the next 56 years.

After four years teaching at Dundee Crown High School, Larry briefly stepped away from the classroom to work at a local art framing shop, considering a different career. But his love of reading, affection for young people, and sense of responsibility brought him back to teaching. He joined Community High School District 155 in Crystal Lake, beginning a career that would touch generations of students.

With his Pendleton jacket, Grizzly Adams beard, and pipe, Larry was hard to miss as an English teacher and football coach at Crystal Lake Central High School. He was equally hard to forget. Former students and athletes have no shortage of stories about the colorful, unconventional, and occasionally intimidating Mr. O’Meara.

After 13 years in the classroom, Larry moved into administration. Concerned about the challenges students faced, he wanted to help create a safer school environment where more kids could find their footing. At Crystal Lake South High School, he often teamed up with a fellow dean. Together, they earned the nickname “Robodeans,” a testament to their formidable presence. After a brief assignment in the superintendent’s office, Larry realized he missed working directly with students and returned to South as principal in 1991.

For the next 12 years, Larry led the school with humor, conviction, and compassion. He believed that the key to being a good principal was simple: hire good teachers and support them. In interviews, he always saved one final question for candidates, asking about their heart. Though proud of his work as an administrator, Larry often said, “I should’ve stayed in the classroom.”

He eventually got his wish. Upon retiring in 2001, Larry returned to teaching, tutoring struggling readers and writers at McHenry County College. His success as an educator was never really about methods or strategies. It was about the individual student: understanding where they were and helping them discover what they could accomplish.

Retirement brought no shortage of activity. Larry became a Big Brother, sharing fishing trips with his young companion; drove senior citizens to medical appointments; and served on a municipal board supporting the city's police and fire services. He had a genuine interest in people and a knack for finding ways to be useful.

Those who knew Larry will remember his exceptionally quick wit, wonderfully skewed sense of humor, and uncanny observations. He had a way of looking at the world from a slightly different angle, and his commentary was rarely predictable.

His interests were just as varied and usually offbeat. A lifelong reader and movie enthusiast, Larry's literary tastes ranged from John Barth, Harry Crews, and Barry Hannah to Thomas

McGuane, Cormac McCarthy, and Larry Brown. His sports loyalties were equally eclectic: he rooted for both the Cubs and White Sox, the Bulls and Blackhawks, Notre Dame, and, somewhat inexplicably, the Chicago Bears and the Dallas Cowboys, particularly during the Tom Landry years.

After retirement, Larry and Mary enjoyed exploring Chicago, often setting out from their Lincoln Park condo to discover the city's neighborhoods, restaurants, and cultural offerings. Larry also spent a couple of years working at Facets, the neighborhood home for independent and international cinema, a natural fit for his curiosity and love of film.

Over the last 15 years, Larry's Catholic faith became an increasingly central part of his life. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton became his home away from home. He attended daily Mass, brought the Eucharist to homebound and nursing home residents, and took particular pleasure in selling Christmas trees with the Knights of Columbus. He loved his parish community and was deeply loved in return.

During the final two years of his life, despite increasingly difficult circumstances, Larry found a remarkable sense of peace through his faith, God's grace, and the support of his parish family. Never one for self-pity, he faced his challenges with the same dry wit that had served him throughout his life. Those who visited often left with a laugh, reminded that Larry was still very much Larry.

Larry was an incredibly supportive and engaged dad to Matt and Kathleen, taking a genuine interest in their lives and enthusiastically supporting their many interests. He especially loved following their athletic careers and was a hilarious, if occasionally controversial, spectator from the sidelines. His own passions for film, music, literature, and the arts had a profound influence on both of his children, shaping their interests, perspectives, and ultimately their careers. He encouraged their curiosity, exposed them to new ideas, and helped foster the interests that would become part of who they are. His influence as a father extended well beyond the lessons he taught; it lives on in the lives they built and the people they became.

Larry is survived by his beloved wife of 56 years, Mary (Moriarty) O’Meara; his children, Matt (Jessy) O’Meara of Portland, Oregon, and Kathleen (O’Meara) Caturano of Chicago; and his cherished granddaughter, Gemma Caturano. He is also survived by his siblings, Mike (Karen) O’Meara, Pat O’Meara, and Paul O’Meara, all of Arizona, and Eileen O’Meara of Las Vegas, as well as many nieces and nephews from the Moriarty and O’Meara families who loved their Uncle Lar.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Mary, and his brother, Dennis.

Larry's legacy is found in the students he encouraged, the colleagues he supported, the people he helped, the family he cherished, and the many friends who enjoyed his company. He believed in the importance of heart, whether in a teacher, a principal, or simply a person trying to do right by someone else. He lived that belief in his own way, with generosity, curiosity, humor, and an incomparable personality.

He was truly a character in the best sense of the word, a champion of the underdog in both sports and in life. He cared about people, believed everybody deserved a chance, and always tried to do the right thing. He was beloved and will be missed by many.