Career
He represented Welland in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Conservative member from 1890 to 1894 and in the Canadian House of Commons from 1896 to 1900 as a Conservative member. He was born in Thorold, Canada West in 1853, the son of Beatty McCleary and Matilda McCabe, both Irish immigrants, and was educated there and at Toronto. In 1877, McCleary married Jennie East. Ewart.
He was a lumber merchant at Thorold, a partner in a company which operated saw and planing mills there, and also served as reeve and mayor of the town.
McCleary was also warden for Welland County. He was defeated in the 1894 provincial election, then was elected to the federal parliament in 1896 but was unsuccessful in a bid for reelection in 1900.