Kathleen A. O'Malley

Kathleen A. O’Malley, 70, of Jacksonville Beach, died July 3, 2026, at Baptist South Hospital after a short illness.

Kathleen was born in Nanticoke, Pa., on October 2, 1955, the only child of Tom and Jean O’Malley. After receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Wilkes College (now University) in just three years, she attended the Dickinson School of Law where she received her Juris Doctor in Law in 1979. Upon graduation, Kathleen worked as an attorney for Ball and Skelly in Harrisburg, Pa., a firm famous for its advocacy on behalf of religious freedom, where she argued in defense of that freedom and the First Amendment across several jurisdictions.

After attending a Supreme Court argument in Washington, D.C., a chance airport meeting with the late Robert Merkle, then United States Attorney of the Middle District of Florida, led to her dream job as an Assistant United States Attorney in Jacksonville in 1983. Kathleen remained eternally grateful to the late William Bentley Ball for believing in her.

Kathleen served proudly as an Assistant United States Attorney in Jacksonville for 30 years and retired in 2013. During her tenure, she was appointed as Deputy Managing Assistant United States Attorney from 1994 to 1999, as well as Senior Litigation Counsel. Although she handled a variety of criminal cases over the years, her specialty was white-collar crime and sophisticated fraud prosecutions. This meant working closely for several years with the United States Secret Service, whose agents she absolutely adored and respected.

Throughout, Kathleen was an extraordinary mentor and supervisor. She counseled and supported other assistant U.S. attorneys in Florida and around the country, both rookie and seasoned. Several of her mentees went on to become federal and state judges. She frequently served as an expert instructor at the U.S. Department of Justice National Advocacy Center in Columbia, S.C, and served as a mock trial team coach at the Florida Coastal School of Law.

Blessed with an extraordinary memory, Kathleen had a minor in British History from Wilkes (which her professor said she could have taught) and traveling to Europe with her family. In keeping, Kathleen loved theater; “Wicked” and “Hamilton” were among her favorite musicals. She also was an enthusiastic original season ticket holder for the Jacksonville Jaguars, and she attended almost every home game since their inaugural season in 1995.

Kathleen was preceded in death by her grandparents, Henry and Ann Leyman, and Thomas and Lillian O’Malley, her parents, Thomas and Regina O’Malley, and many aunts and uncles. She is survived by two aunts, many cousins, and, of course, Murrough and Marley, her beloved Maine Coons.

A funeral mass and celebration of life will follow at a later date in September, details of which will be published here at a later date.

Services under the care of Moloney-Hewell Funeral Home, 4140 University Blvd. S., Jacksonville, FL 32216.