Andrew “Jay” Joseph O’Malley, Jr., 93, of Plato, Missouri, passed away on March 31, 2023, at Houston House in Houston, Missouri.
Jay was born on January 8, 1930, to Andrew Joseph O’Malley, Sr. and Annie (Smith) O’Malley in Slabtown, Missouri on his family’s farm bordering the Big Piney River. He spent his whole life in Texas County and graduated from Licking High School in 1949.
In 1954, Jay married Audra Wallace of Big Piney, Missouri. They made their home in Evening Shade and had two children, Tammie and Mike.
Jay worked as a heavy equipment operator and was involved in the construction of many roads across Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, and South Dakota. He retired from Operating Engineers Local 513 after 30 years.
His favorite hobby was working on his farm and he enjoyed vintage tractors especially John Deere models.
Jay was preceded in death by his son, Mike O’Malley, and his siblings, George O’Malley, Kathleen Davis, Mary Ragain, and Matilda Clark Ireland.
He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Audra, of the home; his daughter, Tammie Turner and her husband, Frank; a grandson, Zachary Turner and his wife, Heidi; a granddaughter, Sierra Irwin and her husband, Cole; two great-grandsons, Otto Irwin and Nolan Turner, all of Pierre, SD; a special nephew, George Earl Ragain and his wife, Carole, of Licking, as well as several other nephews and nieces.
Services will be held at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Roby, Missouri, on April 22, 2023, at 11 a.m. Visitation will be held prior to the service from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Burial will be in the Palace Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to The Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N Michigan Ave., 17th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601-7633. (Alz.org).
