O’Neill, John F.

John “Jack” Francis O'Neill, age 81, beloved husband of Julia Anne Sayers O'Neill, died Wednesday, October 27, 2021, at St. Mary's Home in West Hartford. Born January 11, 1940, the second of five children of John F. O'Neill (d. 1944) and Gertrude Cooney O'Neill (d. 1980), Jack was raised in Hartford's Dutch Point Colony housing project where he and his siblings were known as “The Five Fighting O'Neills.” It was said years later of Jack that after 11 years of residing there: You can take the boy out of Dutch Point, but you can't take the Dutch Point out of the boy. Jack attended St. Peter's Grammar school, Class of 1953, where he served as Class President; he graduated from Bulkeley High School in 1958, the year he

served as President of the St. Lawrence O'Toole CYO and was named “Boy of the Year.” His 321 high school senior classmates wrote of Jack in the yearbook, “Unpredictable…happy go lucky, but a hard worker…one of the most talented members of our class…very friendly and sincere…liked by all.” Jack was a firm believer that whenever life closed one door to you,

God always opened another. As such, he enjoyed five careers over his lifetime, each of which served to further enhance his understanding of human nature. Jack worked for eight years for the City of Hartford Parks and Recreation Department serving in various capacities, such as life guard, recreation leader, playground supervisor, recreation therapist at the H.I. Jones Home with the elderly, and next door at the McCook Hospital psychiatric ward as a diversional therapist. Jack joined the United States Coast Guard Reserve as a Seaman Recruit in 1959 and retired as a Lieutenant Commander. During the 45 years that Jack proudly wore the USCG uniform, he served as a Commanding Officer of two Port Security Units. Over a period of 22 years, he was privileged to serve as the Coast Guard aide-de-camp to Governors O'Neill, Weicker, Rowland, and Rell. Jack worked for 12 years for Aetna Life & Casualty Company as a corporate recruiter where his greatest pleasure was coordinating a program to ready inner city high school students for the world of work. Jack then worked 13 years for the Connecticut Department of Correction (DOC), first as Coordinator of the Employee Assistance Program – where he helped establish the DOC's Critical Incident Stress Program, then as Counselor

Supervisor where he coordinated many inmate programs at the MacDougal Correctional Institution in Suffield. In 1993, Jack was named the DOC's “Employee of the Year.” Upon retirement, Jack served at the Waterbury Armory as a class instructor for the Connecticut National Guard's “About Face” program which was designed to assist 18 – 21

year old youths to develop their utmost potential. Jack later worked a combination of 13 years part-time for Community Solutions and Wheeler Clinic, serving as an instructor/co-facilitator for over 1,300 court-ordered Family Violence Education classes. Jack earned a B.S. degree magna cum laude in Parks and Recreation Administration from the University of New Hampshire where he was elected to the National Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi and served as the first elected President of the Recreation and Parks Association at UNH. Jack subsequently earned a M.S. degree in Parks and Recreation from Indiana University. He later earned a M.A. degree in Counseling from St. Joseph

College. Jack also took courses at the University of Connecticut, the University of Hartford, Central Connecticut State University, and Harvard University at Cambridge Hospital. Of all of his academic achievements, Jack deeply cherished his 7 years of part-time evening study at Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell where he earned a 30-semester hour Post Master's Certificate in Moral Theology in 2008. He combined his love of writing with

his passion for helping others and embracing the human potential by self-publishing two books, Stress Busters: 21 Thoughts for Your Emotional Wellness and 21 Work Strategies: A Primer to Ready Today's High School Youth for the World of Work. Jack always said that it was his beloved wife Julie, his Rose of Tralee, his guiding light, best friend, and confidant whose love and encouragement gave him the confidence and discipline to persevere throughout life.

Jack was a Licensed Professional Counselor, a former Certified Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Professional; he was a member of the Knights of Columbus, Newington Council; Board Member and Interim President of the Officers'

Club of Connecticut, Reserve Officers Association, Connecticut Counseling Association, and retreatant at the Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center where he made over 36 annual spiritual retreats, most of them “All Silent.” Besides his adored wife Julie, Jack is survived by his son Colonel (ret) Vincent O'Neill, U.S. Army, and his wife Leslie and their two children Katherine (Katie) Anne and Patrick James (PJ) of North Granby; his son Attorney John F. X. O'Neill of West Hartford; daughter Eileen Mary O'Neill; his brother Rev. Dr. Vincent de Paul O'Neill of Henderson, Nevada; his sisters Mary Ann Parlapiano and her husband Carmine (Sam) of Windsor, and Regis O'Neill-Welsh and husband

Russell of Dana Point, California. Jack was predeceased by his sister Margaret (Marti) Mary Wallace in 1982, who is survived by her husband Dr. Gerald Wallace, Ph.D., of Arlington, Virginia. Jack leaves behind many wonderful nieces and nephews, all of whom he loved dearly. Jack had a great love throughout his entire life for his 41 first cousins from the Cooney, Farrell and Dully clans. He cherished his friendship with his only O'Neill cousin, Margaret Kelley Hogan of New York City and Saugerties, New York. Jack also leaves his brothers-in-law, Patrick Sayers and his wife Peggy of Windsor Locks, and T. Brendon Sayers of Glastonbury, sisters-in-law Joan Sayers Kelley of Brighton, England, Breda Sayers Garvey of Wilbraham, Massachusetts, and Mary Sayers Mullarkey and her husband Joseph of Wethersfield. Jack was predeceased by sisters-in-law Sister Elizabeth Sayers of England, Catherine Sayers Hawley of Torrington, and Maria O'Neill of Henderson, Nevada. He was also predeceased by brothers-in-law John Garvey of Springfield, Massachusetts, James Sayers of Tralee, Ireland, Dick Howard Hawley of Torrington, and Peter Kelly of Brighton, England. A wake will be held at Sheehan-Hilborn-Breen Funeral Home at 1084 New Britain Avenue in West Hartford, CT on Monday, November 1, 2021, from 4-7 p.m. A mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Saint Mark the Evangelist Church at 467 South Quaker Lane, West Hartford, CT on Tuesday, November 2, 2021, at 10 a.m. Burial will follow at Mount Saint Benedict Cemetery in Bloomfield. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Jack's name to Father Luis Antonio Luna Barrera (MSA) care of Holy Apostles College and Seminary, 33 Prospect Hill

Road, Cromwell, CT 06416. Online condolences may be made at www.SheehanHilbornBreen.com