Gregory Basil O'Neill

Gregory Basil O’Neill passed away on Saturday, January 2nd, at St. Agnes Hospital after a long struggle with his health. Greg was a beloved son, brother, nephew, uncle, Godfather, great-uncle, and friend. Greg is survived by his mother Marilyn O’Neill of Fresno; his sister Joan O’Neill and her husband Steve Johnson of San Francisco, and their children Mairead married to Matthew Godfrey, Brendan and Cate Johnson. Greg is also survived by his brother Brendan O’Neill and his wife Laura of Fair Oaks, and their children Kristen married to Dalton Ryken and their sons Waylon and Boden, and Allison and Matthew O’Neill. In addition to his immediate family, Greg is survived by numerous paternal and maternal aunts, uncles and cousins. Greg was preceded in death by his brother Matthew (deceased 1994) and father Basil (deceased 2012).

Greg was born in Fresno in 1963 and moved with his family to Hanford in 1968 where he attended elementary and high school, graduating from Hanford High School in 1981. Greg then returned to Fresno and attended college at Fresno City College. He lived in Fresno for the last 40 years except for a four-year period in the early 2010’s when he lived in Fair Oaks.

A lifelong practicing Catholic, Greg was an altar boy for many years as a child and, until the Covid-19 pandemic, attended Mass regularly at Holy Spirit Parish and The Newman Center in Fresno.

Greg’s vocation was in retail at several drug stores, big box retailers and medical supply companies, and as a chef at various restaurants in Fresno. Greg earned his culinary certificate in 2010. The last stage of Greg’s career was spent in construction as a remodel project manager for a General Contractor in the Sacramento area. The remodel customers loved to have Greg work on their homes. His tenacious work ethic, attention to detail and unfailing kindness and respect won the company numerous referrals.

More important to Greg than his vocation, however, was his avocation as “Uncle Greg”. Greg informally adopted the children of friends, cousins and co-workers as well as his own nieces and nephews. As part of his role as Uncle Greg, he prepared extravagant Easter baskets, Halloween bags, and Christmas stockings for as many as 30 children every year for the last 31 years. Additional aspects of that role were his wildly unpredictable and always humorous contributions to multi-generational family vacations and camping trips, from crazy hats to the noisiest toys. Greg also served as the guardian angel for his younger brother Matt until his passing in 1994 and more recently for his mother Marilyn.

Greg was loyal, deliberate, funny, stubborn, and generous to a fault. He was intensely loved and will be intensely missed.

Funeral Services will be held at Holy Spirit Parish and interment will occur at St. Peter’s Cemetery. Due to Covid-19 pandemic protocols the services will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a donation be made in Greg’s name to Valley Children’s Hospital, at 9300 Valley Children’s Place, Madera, CA 93636 or online at www.valleychildrens.org/foundation/donate-to-valley-childrens.