Army Veteran, husband, father, athlete, and coach James D. O'Neill, 84, passed away peacefully on June 23. Jim held several jobs in life: short-order cook, soldier, banker, and teacher - but above all he was a husband, father, athlete, and coach. Jim was born in Brooklyn in 1937 and began running competitively in middle school. He attended St. Francis Prep and earned a track scholarship to Seton Hall University. Dubbed "the Gutsy Irishman" by his coach and teammates, the 5'6" O'Neill competed against - and often beat - NCAA athletes a head taller than him in both the individual 400 meters and as a member of the 4X400 relay team, including at the prestigious Penn Relays and Millrose Games. Jim served as an artillery officer in the United States Army before returning to New York, where he married the love of his life Keiko in 1965. They welcomed their son Sean and together lived and traveled to over 20 countries before returning to Staten Island. Jim left a successful career as an international banker in his mid-40s to pursue his professional passion as a high school teacher and coach. Jim coached two Olympians in the very first women's Olympic marathon in 1984. He ran with the Greenery Club and coached hundreds of student athletes at Wagner College, Farrell HS, Port Richmond HS, and Curtis HS until his early 80s. As a young man he stood for civil rights in the March on Washington and four decades later he taught English as a second language to students making a new start in our country. Through it all, he devoted the same commitment and passion to coaching for the Olympics as the next PSAL meet and his legacy of mentorship will live on. Jim is predeceased by his wife Keiko and is survived by his son Sean (Sachi), sister Aileen Radigan (C Raymond), nephews Ray Radigan and Ken Radigan (Jeanne), niece Christine D'Amico (Tommy) and hundreds of friends and students whose lives he enriched. Visitations will be held at the Harmon Funeral Home, 571 Forest Ave., Staten Island, on Thursday June 30, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. The funeral will be held at Sacred Heart R.C Church at 981 Castleton Ave., Staten Island, on Friday, July 1, at 10:45 a.m. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to Doctors Without Borders https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org
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