Gerald Thomas O'Neill

Gerald O’Neill was born October 3, 1936 on the South Side of Chicago to the late Catherine (Cal) and Joseph O’Neill. He passed away peacefully after bravely fighting cancer. Gerald was the loving big brother of Patrick (Teresa) O’Neill, proud uncle of Danny and Gina, Great Uncle to Zia, and fond cousin to many. Ger grew up in Chicago, attending St. Kevin Catholic School and Leo High School. He obtained a B.S Degree in Chemical Engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology. He is a proud veteran of the US Army, having served in an educational role due to his expertise in chemistry. A lifelong bachelor, Ger had many interests and hobbies. In his early years, he was a lifeguard at Chicago’s Calumet Park Beach. He picked up golf along the way, and enjoyed his time out on the links especially at the Annual O’Keefe Open. He was a devoted Bears and White Sox fan. An avid card player, most recently participating in a bridge group in Buffalo Grove, Ger traveled to Las Vegas, often going solo. To celebrate his 80th birthday, the family treated him to a trip to Vegas. On the first day, he proudly walked away with $200 after a brief poker game. Most importantly, when Ger was in his own “orbit”, you could bring him down to Earth by saying one word: ”DESSERT!”

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.oehlerfuneralhome.com for the O'Neill family.