John Leo O'Neill

John Leo O’Neill, 73, of Cary, North Carolina, passed away on October 19, 2022 at the Duke Health Hock Family Pavilion in Durham, North Carolina, with his family by his side. John was born to John Terrence and Darlene Marie O’Neill in Kewanee, Illinois. He is survived by his loving wife of forty-nine years, Sharon O’Neill, and his children: Gregory O’Neill and his wife Erin, Christina O’Neill, and Matthew O’Neill. He has 6 beloved grandchildren: Liam, Nathan, Alexander, Adalyn, Norah, and Nolan. He is also survived by his siblings in Central Illinois: Mary Jo Callahan, Judy O’Neill, Don O’Neill, and Mark O’Neill. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister Peggy Stanton of Antioch, IL.

John graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Platteville, and began his working life at the Princeville Canning Company and Pabst Brewing Company in Central Illinois. In 1983, he and his family moved to Central NY where John worked for Anheuser-Busch in their microbiology lab as a quality assurance manager until his retirement in 2006. Since then, John spent his time enjoying life at Upstate New York’s Kasoag Lake, traveling, farming with family in Central Illinois, and most recently splitting his time in North Carolina between Cary and Powder Horn Mountain. He had a strong work ethic, was easy-going, could fix mostly anything, and will be so very missed.

Calling hours will be held at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home in Cary on October 26, 2022 from 6 to 8 PM. A Catholic funeral mass will be held in Cary at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church on October 27, 2022 at 10:00 AM. John will be interred at Campbell Memorial Chapel Cemetery on Powder Horn Mountain in Deep Gap, NC the same day, with a graveside blessing and burial at 4 PM.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Smithsonian Institute or the American Heart Association.