Paul Michael Leary

2011, 2012

Brother Paul Michael Leary was born at Newport, Rhode Island on June 17, 1948, the eldest of 6 children, 5 boys and a girl, born to Paul Mowrey and Francis May (Malley) Leary. He attended school in Newport, graduating cum laude from De La Salle Academy in 1966. Following high school he spent a year at Christian Brother Novitiate and then, for the next 4 years, attended Rhode Island College in Providence, carrying a dual major of music and English. He then entered the Hall Small Business Institute Certificate Program, also in Providence. He later furthered his education at the New Hampshire Police Academy in 1982 and the New Hampshire Police Juvenile Officer Institute in 1984. He also took group courses in Incident Command System and National Wildfire Coordination at the New Hampshire Fire Academy. He was an adjunct instructor in Radar Speed Measurement and Firearms for the New Hampshire Police Standards and Training Council.

On August 12, 1989 Brother Leary was united in marriage with Margaret Ann Montgomery. He is a member of Trinity Episcopal Church in Tilton and has been a member of the choir, served on the Altar Guild, was Senior Warden, and a Eucharist Minister/Visitor.

Brother Leary worked in the hospitality industry, putting himself through college and started a career that eventually led him to New Hampshire. He variously worked at several establishments in Rhode Island, Maine and New Hampshire. In Rhode Island he worked his way from dishwasher to 1st cook at the Shamrock Cliff Hotel, was 1st cook at the Newport Motor Inn, chef at the Willow Rose Restaurant, 1st cook and night chef at the Rhode Island Country Club, assistant manager and chef at Christie’s Waterfront Restaurant, was assistant manager of the Hotel Viking and Conference Center and also assistant general manager of the Ramada Inn and nightclub. In Maine he was night chef at Squaw Mountain Ski Area and chef at the Helm restaurant in Bangor. In New Hampshire he was general manager of the Steele Hill Resort and general manager of the Forest Glen Inn. While working at Squaw Mountain Ski Area in Maine, he also worked as a Special Deputy Sheriff in Piscataquis County. When the ski area closed he went to work for the Pittsfield, Maine, Police Department.

Between 1969 in 1972, he was a registered apprentice in embalming, and worked for his father at the Dunphy-Leary funeral home in Newport, Rhode Island.
In 1981, Brother Leary made a career change from the hospitality industry to law enforcement. He became a patrolman with the Sanbornton, New Hampshire Police Department and in 1983 became a sergeant with the Northfield, New Hampshire Police Department serving for 12 weeks and then being promoted to chief and served in that position for 11 years. In 1994 he became a forest ranger with the New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development to remain there until 2003 when he became the Chief of Communications Training and Law-Enforcement. In 2005 he became the Chief of Communications and remains in that position at the present time.

The list of professional organizations that he belongs or belonged to his impressive. While in college he was a member of the Rhode Island College choir, serving as vice president for one year president for 2 years. He was a member of the college’s student Senate and served as 1st president of the student Senate of the National Music Educators Association. In 2005 he became them member of the New Hampshire State Executive Interoperability Advisory Committee, a position he still holds. He served for 20 years as a Judge for We the People: Constitution and Bill of Rights on district, state and national levels. From 1984 to 2004 he was a member of the Law -related Education Advisory Committee of the New Hampshire Bar Association. He is been a Notary Public and Justice of the Peace since 1979. He is been a member of the National Forestry Conservation Communications Association since 2002, serving as 2nd vice president in 2001 and 2002; 1stVice President from 2003 to 2005; president in 2005 to 2009; and is currently the immediate past president. He was a member of the land mobile communications Council from 2005 to 2009; served on the board of Governors of the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council from 2006 to 2009 and is served on the Board of Directors of the Public Safety Spectrum Trust since 2008.

Brother Leary was made a Mason and St. James Lodge No. 102 of Hampton and was raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason on July 14, 1988. In December 1988 he affiliated with Doric Lodge No. 78, now Doric-Centre Lodge No. 20, of Tilton. He served as secretary of the Lodge in 1989 and was elected Junior Warden of the Lodge in 1990. He served the Lodge as Worshipful Master 1993, 1994 and again in 2001. He served as treasurer of the Lodge in 2006 to 2010. For service to his Lodge and Freemasonry has been awarded the Major General John Sullivan Distinguished Service Medal and bronze and New Hampshire Freemasonry’s highest award, the Jeremy Ladd Cross Medal.

In the York Rite he is a member of North Star Chapter No. 16, Royal Arch Mason; Evening Star Council No. 13, Royal and Select Masons; and North Star-Saint Girard Commandery No. 4, Knights Templar. He is a member of Scenic Council No. 37, Knight Masons and was Excellent Chief in 2010-2011. He is currently Senior Warden of John Harris Council, Allied Masonic degrees; a member of Profile York Rite College No. 100; Red Cross of Constantine; and New Hampshire College Societas Rosicruciana.

In Scottish Rite he is a member of Alpha Lodge of Perfection; Ariel Council, Princes of Jerusalem; Acacia Chapter of Rose Croix; and New Hampshire Consistory. He is been nominated to be cornetted an honorary member of the Supreme Council, 33rd°, on August 30, 2011.

He is an honorary member of the DeMolay Legion of honor and a member of Bektash Shriners of Concord, New Hampshire.

Brother Leary has been extremely active in the order of Eastern Star. He joined Tide Mill Chapter No. 67 in 1988 and over the next 13 years he served as Chaplain, Associate Patron and Worthy Patron. In 1989 he affiliated with Peabody-Mount Washington Chapter No. 35 in Tilton and served as Chaplain, Associate Patron and Worthy Patron over several years. He was appointed Grand Chaplain of the Grand Chapter 1994 and was elected Grand Sentinel in 1950 and 1995; Associate Grand Patron in 1996; and is Worthy Grand Patron in 1997. He was a member of the grand General Grand Chapter Committee on Vision from 2003 to 2006.

In Grand Lodge, Brother Leary served as District Education Officer for the 8th Masonic District from 1996 to 1999. He was appointed District Deputy Grand Lecturer for the district in 2000 and 2001. In May 2002, Most Worshipful Wendell L. Woodard appointed Brother Leary as Junior Grand Deacon of the Grand Lodge. He progressed of the line, and on May 21, 2011 he was elected and installed as the one hundred and thirteenth Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of the Ancient and Honorable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of oNew Hampshire.