Joseph E. O'Gara

Joseph E. O’Gara was born in Manhattan on September 22, 1918 and worked there until retirement in 1989. Joseph graduated from Fordham College in 1940 and attended Fordham Law School, leaving to join the U. S. Coast Guard in February of 1942. He was discharged as a Lieutenant in 1946 and then joined his father’s real estate firm, O’Gara & Co., Inc. founded in 1902 which specialized in Times Square and Theatrical Real Estate. Joe was an active member of The Real Estate Board of New York for over 75 years, serving at various times as Governor, V. P. of The Brokerage Division, Chairman of The Sales Brokers and Times Square/Columbus Circle Committees. He was a licensed broker in N. Y. State also for over 75 years. He was one of the Founders of the Young Men’s Real Estate Association in 1948. In 1981, he was the recipient of the Board’s Annual Award for the “Most Ingenious Deal of the Year”. He specialized in the assemblage of development sites for major office buildings including The Exxon, McGraw Hill and Calanese buildings. Mr. O’Gara also completed the assemblage of One Rockefeller Center West, a 50,000 square foot site at 1585 Broadway, for Morgan Stanley Inc. among others.

He was active for 30 years as a member of the Cardinal’s Committee of The Laity and was Chairman of the Board of Trustees of St. Joseph’s Day Nursery in New York and was a past chairman of the Saddle River, NJ Zoning Board of Adjustment. Joe was a member of the Ridgewood (NJ) Country Club, The Upper Ridgewood Tennis Club, The University Club of New York, Marsh Landing Country Club (FL) and The Ponte Vedra Inn & Club (FL).

Joe was predeceased by his loving wife of 70 years, Elizabeth Amory (Thomas). He is survived by his four exceptional children, Constance Cotter (William), Thomas, Alice Durnan (William) and James (Mary); 11 grandchildren; and 10 great grandchildren.