Jackie O'Melia-Harris, 85, long-time Rock Island resident died Friday. Visitation will be from 2:00–5:00 Sunday at the Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home, Rock Island. Funeral services are 10:30 a.m. Monday at the funeral home. Burial is at Memorial Park Cemetery, Rock Island. Memorials may be made to Alternatives in Moline, an agency supporting older adults.

Jackie was born at her family's home in Rock Island on October 26, 1929, the second of four children born to William "Toby" and Dorothy Tyler. She graduated from Rock Island High School in 1947, where she was selected as Homecoming Queen of her Senior Class. At the urging of her life long best friend, Jean, the two accepted a ride from the O'Melia twins at a bowling alley in Rock Island. The seats they took as they got in the car that night, Jackie in back with Jim and Jean in front with Cecil, predicted how they all would later marry. Jackie and Jim were married in 1948 until Jim's death 41 years later.

Jim and Jackie loved Rock Island sports. Jackie was Jim's greatest fan when he and Cecil played for the legendary local softball teams, Hamm's Beer and The Argus. Jim and Jackie had season basketball tickets at Rock Island High School both before and after their son Jim was a basketball standout. Jackie held various jobs in Rock Island including grocery store cashier, founding office manager of the Quad City Athletic Club, and school secretary at Edison Junior High - her self-proclaimed favorite job.

In 1967, Jim and Jackie in partnership with Cecil and Jean purchased the Office Supper Club. Three years later, Jackie and Jim opened the local landmark O'Melia's Supper Club on Blackhawk Road. Jackie greeted each customer with her radiant smile. Her regular customers, her employees, and all of her friends were family to her. She shared in their joys and offered comfort in times of sorrow.

Though Jackie worked late at O'Melia's, she would be up tending her yard before sunrise. She loved annual flowers for their whole season beauty. It took a flatbed truck for Dingledein's to deliver the array of annuals she would select. She relished dining at various restaurants throughout the Quad Cities, dancing into the night, attending her grandchildren's school and sports events, getting together with her card club, and gathering for family celebrations.

Her resilience and eternal optimism sustained Jackie through difficult losses including her eldest son Jim. Jackie was comforted by the outpouring of community support in the wake of Jim's death and the founding of the James O'Melia, Jr. Athletic Award annually honoring Rock Island High School's finest athlete/scholars. One of the proudest moments of her life was when Jackie's grandson Jim was chosen as an O'Melia award recipient.

In the early 1990's a handsome widower came for dinner at O'Melia's and asked Jackie out for an evening of dining and dancing. The late-life romance continued when she married Bill Harris in 1997, and the dancing continued for more than a decade until Bill died in 2014. Jackie then moved to Avonlea Cottage in Milan where she enjoyed the company of fellow residents and hustle and bustle of the caregivers, who all treated her like a queen.

Jackie is survived by her sons, Michael (Jane) O'Melia of Sherrard, Terry (Trudy) O'Melia and John (Laura) O'Melia both of Rock Island, daughter-in-law Christa (Stan) Lohmeier of Rock Island, step-daughters Diana (Mike) Sharboneau of Dixon, IL and Chris (Lee) Saar of Marietta, GA as well as 16 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild. Other survivors include sisters Margery Rochau of Davenport and Sherry (Jim) Coyle of Moline, brother Bill (Jeanne) Tyler of Fort Wayne, IN, sister-in-law June Schindler of Davenport, numerous nieces and nephews, and countless dear friends. She was preceded in death by both of her parents, husband Jim, husband Bill, son Jim Jr., niece Wendy Petsel, grandsons Sean and Corey Saar, and great-grandson Devon Hayes.

Online condolences may be left at wheelanpressly.com.