Timothy James "T.J." O'Neill

Timothy James “T.J.” O’Neill, age 90, of Austin, passed away Thursday, June 18, 2020. He was born in Burlington, Texas, on September 17, 1929, to Hilda (née Albert) and Raymond O’Neill, their fourth and youngest child, and only boy. His sisters were Mary Dosch, Irene Gielen and Patricia Polzer. The family moved to Cameron, Texas, in 1936. T.J. attended Yoe High School in Cameron where he excelled as a scholar and athlete. He lettered two years in baseball, three years in track and basketball, and four years in football. He was Texas State Champion in the 220-yard dash in 1948 and held the state divisional record for two years. He was backfield captain and starting running back for the Cameron Yoeman football team for three years, a period of time when the Yoemen were 30(W) – 4(L). He was freshman and senior class president, and graduated salutatorian in 1948. T.J. was inducted into the Yoe High School Foundation Hall of Honor in 2000.

Despite offers for full scholarships to other schools and an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, T.J. chose to enroll at the University of Texas at Austin as a Plan II major (pre-med) in 1948. While attending UT, he was a member of the naval ROTC. In his junior year at UT, he was accepted to the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. He graduated from UTMB in the upper quarter of his class with an M.D. in 1955.

T.J. interned at Kings County Hospital – Brooklyn, New York, from 1955 – 1956. In November 1955, T.J. was appointed as a First Lieutenant in the United States Air Force Reserve. While at Kings County Hospital, T.J. met Eileen Keane, a nursing student, on a blind date. In September 1956, T.J. transitioned to active duty as a Captain in the U.S.A.F. Eileen and T.J. were married at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Staten Island, New York, on December 22, 1956. Shortly after the wedding T.J. was stationed in Japan, serving as a flight surgeon. He served in the U.S.A.F. for 32 months, was discharged as Major and served 10 years in the U.S.A.F. Reserve.

Following active military service, T.J. and Eileen settled in Dallas, Texas, where T.J. was a surgical resident (one year) and radiological resident (three years) at the Southwestern Medical School – VA hospital, 1959 –’63. He served in private practice as a radiologist at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Beaumont, TX, 1963 – ’75, and at the Austin Diagnostic Clinic in Austin from 1975 until his retirement in 1992. He was a Diplomate of the American Board of Radiology, a member of the American Medical Association, American College of Radiology, North American Radiology Society, Texas Medical Association, Texas Radiological Society, Travis County Medical Society and served on the Board of Directors of the Austin Diagnostic Clinic.

A devout Catholic, T.J. was active in the communities of each of the parishes of which he was a member throughout his life. He was a member of the Board of Directors of St. Anne’s Parochial School and a pre-cana instructor at St. Anne’s Parish in Beaumont, TX, and he was an usher and communion minister at St. Theresa’s Church in Austin, TX.

Survivors include his wife of 64 years, Eileen (née Keane); four children, Kathleen O’Neill-Hubbard of Polson, Montana, James O’Neill of Austin, Michael O’Neill of Chaplin, Connecticut, Peggy O’Neill-McLeod of Helena, Montana; and eight grandchildren.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 am on Wednesday, June 24, 2020, with a rosary beginning at 9:15 am, at St. Theresa Catholic Church. Burial will follow in Cook-Walden/Capital Parks. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org).