LEO EUGENE O'NEILL

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LEO EUGENE O'NEILL September 26, 1924 - March 9, 2016 At the age of 91, Leo O'Neill passed, surrounded by family, within days of suffering a stroke. He was predeceased by his wife Betty in 1993, son Matthew, brother John, and sisters Pat Farr and Marie Menzies. Left to mourn are his children Peggy (Tom O'Neill), Patty, Mary (Frank Dorota), Terry, Betty, Michael, Jack, Sean, Mark (Tara Mawhinney), Louise (David Morris), Jean (Mark Gendron) and Erin (Jillian Carson), 24 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, numerous nephews, great-nephews and nieces. Leo was born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario (home of his beloved Ti-Cats). Much of his worldly view was shaped when he joined the R.C.A.F. and trained as a bombardier before he went overseas during the Second World War. Not too long after his return, he married Betty McCafferty in 1945. In 1962, he and Mom loaded the family into an old panel wagon and drove to Winnipeg for a work opportunity. Awhile after arriving in Winnipeg, they decided that 11 children was a rather odd number and, so, Erin came along to make it an even dozen. Other than a brief stay in Thunder Bay in the 1970s, Winnipeg remained his home until he moved to Gimli at the age of 80. Dad fought hard to live over the years. He did so with a sense of humour that ranged from corny to naughty. His dry wit and humour could be quite disarming and, at times, shocking. He would find something funny in the most tragic of situations. Though he couldn't sing a note, he loved the annual Christmas Eve carols around the tree and joined in as though he were Bing Crosby himself. And he never missed an opportunity to dance - whether at a family wedding, at the Legion in the old days or on any given Saturday morning when he would get Mom up from the kitchen table to waltz to a wartime favourite playing on CJOB. Once he moved to Gimli, Dad became involved in the Tenants Association at the Waterfront Centre and had an active social life while his health still allowed that. He maintained his sense of humour to the end. He loved a good political conversation and helped in several elections over the years. He could whip through a New York Times crossword somehow knowing the names of various Greek gods and Shakespearean characters. Dad had a keen curiosity about his grandchildren and asked lots of questions regarding their studies and extra-curricular activities. He always addressed his grandsons as "Pal" and his granddaughters loved to tease him about his interest in "the ladies". The family would like to thank the staff at Health Sciences Centre, the Waterfront in Gimli and the I.E.R.H.A. Home Care Team for their recent and long-standing care. We particularly want to thank our sisters, Louise and Jean and brother-in-law Mark for their dedication to Dad's well-being these past few years. He was a good old fella and will be missed dearly. Cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held at a later date.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Mar 12, 2016