“WE HAD A FAMILY MEETING”

By BRIAN O’KEEFE

It was not your typical celebrity interview.  In fact “48 Hours” for many years avoided Hollywood topics.  But this shoot was special…and to me deeply personal.  Correspondent Richard Schlesinger and I were stalking …of all people, Bob Hope, in of all places: Branson, Missouri. Branson is the  kinda middle class, lower rent entertainment destination,  a Nashvegas, if you will. This is the mid 90s,, just a few years before Bob’s final curtain call to Heaven.  We caught up with him and his entourage near a Branson venue he was appearing at.  He was hard of hearing and going blind.  In his late 90’s, Bob wasn’t exactly ready for a sit down interview.  His protective staff and daughter Linda Hope said a big sit down interview was unlikely.   Linda ran the show at Hope Enterprises…and actually may be one of the California’s richest since Bob’s secret addiction was real estate.

“But, I’m Alice Gallagher’s grand-nephew and I would just like to say hello.”   Well, that changed everything. There was literally a dramatic second of silence.  Linda’s professional, stern look morphed into the widest California-size smile. The little walking entourage, heading into a theatre stopped dead in its tracks. “Aaaaalice… She raised my brothers and I….we love Alice. How is she?” 

“Daddy,  one of Alice’s Gallagher’s nephews is here!”  With that one sentence, the ever-frail, near blind and deaf living institution and legend Bob Hope turned around dramatically, so hyper-excited and said:  “Alice ?!?”…  “Is Alice here?!?!,”. His voice boomed with a hint of hope and glee.  

“No, Daddy..  its one of the O’Leary girls sons”.  He was kind of crushed that it was only me. But I’ll never forget what he said. Actually I forgot the words, but the sound of his voice gave it away.   My family’ s great Aunt Alice meant a lot to one of the greatest entertainers who ever lived…and his family.  She was the personal secretary and so much more for the Hopes and their children.    I do remember the last thing he said to me: “We love dear Alice…send her our love.”  Richard got a short impromptu interview and I walked away with a story that my mother and her siblings would cherish.

Alice was my grandmother Bernadette’s youngest sister. Aunt Alice turned 90 yesterday.  I flew across country from Los Angeles to be at her birthday party. I’m writing this on the plane back. Call me impulsive. But this one’s important. In Warwick, NY at Alice’s celebration  I expected…and encountered happy remembrances but I also heard for the very first time …a story that my cousins and I will cherish. So staggering, it could be the opening of a dramatic film or an epic novel.

After many giggly and joyous anecdotes about dear Alice’s few boyfriends, surprise visits, her amazing presents she brought to many of the O’Leary grandchildren from her world travels with the Hopes and the ecumenical international Grail organization.  She was like a missionary instructor or something very important and religious. …but as children we thought she could be a secret special nun…(because only nuns could be as religious and strict as her)….but one handsome boyfriend came with her one Christmas,  extinguishing the nun myth.  She had that rare mix of strict and  fun…and she gave great scalp massages, almost unconsciously.

Back at the birthday party, there was almost a ceremonial church silence as my Uncle Artie was about to speak.  He was already choked up.. And so were many of us. Not a word yet uttered but we knew as the oldest of the ten orphaned O’Learys that he knew and remembered more and shouldered so much of the pain. His gratitude and remembrance of Alice was unsaid, but palpable.

And then it was said.

He spoke of losing both parents when they were all so young. “Many of you might not know this, but we kids had a family meeting”, a gentle tear slipping down his cheek. ” “I was 24 and didn’t know what to do….and more than half of us were under 18 so there was talk of splitting us up”.  This was actually news in the paper.  The Sunday New York Daily News had a campaign in its centerfold:  “SAVE THE O’LEARY ORPHANS.”

Artie continued, “So we took a vote and we decided….( long painful pause..).. “we decided to stay together”.

Many of my cousins reacted yesterday and on Facebook today with the same shock. It was news to us.  My mother never told us about that family meeting nor that group decision.  She rarely  even mentioned her father a FDNY Lieutenant who died in 1959 nor her mother’s succumbing to cancer five years later. To this day I don’t even know how my firefighter grandfather died.  The pain was so deep, therefore unspeakable. But the O’Leary kids had eachother. And Aunt Alice.

Alice returned from California leaving behind Bob and Dolores,  the Toluca Lake mansion, and the Hope kids who she helped raise. Even though she was technically Dolores’ secretary…she couldn’t help herself and was like a nanny, too.

With the help of other Gallaghers and many other unsung saints….she got the 215th street Queens Village O’Leary mini mini Kennebunkport in bunk bed ship shape and finished the wonderful job Arthur and Bernadette O’Leary started. How beautiful and amazing.

My mother Bernadette had another life saver ( kind of), my father Billy whom she married and who took her to a new life and eventually our home two villages over, just a couple miles away.  But it felt half of my childhood was on 215^th Street. A part of my heart is still there.

Some of the happiest childhood memories we have is Alice’s visits over the years and the stories of traveling first with the Hopes (who treated her like gold.  Even sending cards and gifts for decades and beautiful flowers yesterday).  And later trips all around the world working for the spiritual socio-cultural and yes, holy, Grail organization (no butlers, yachts or private planes there)….inspiring many O’Leary grandchildren to be generous to others, to not hold back,  have strong faith and explore other cultures and see the world.   She was..and is a wondrous ambassadress and in a way, our closest connection to our grandparents.  Forever, we are grateful.

Now, finally I have learned the secret reason why I love my aunts and uncles so much.  They stuck together.  Thank G d.  And Aunt Alice.