Obituary of Mary O'Neill

Mary O’Neill, 101, of Manchester, passed away on Monday, January 23^rd, 2023, at St. Mary’s Home in West Hartford. Mary was born in Manhattan on January 10, 1922, to the late James and Johanna (Delaney) O’Neill. Raised in Flushing, New York, Mary graduated from Saint Michael’s Grammar School and Flushing High School. 

Mary was born in New York City, the first of four children born to Irish immigrants James and Johanna O’Neill. Tragedy struck the family in 1930, when mother Johanna died, leaving James to raise four young children during the Great Depression. Mary had to grow up fast having to help raise her younger siblings. In 1943, Mary began her career with the federal government being hired as a GS1 clerk with the General Services Administration. During the Cold War, Mary had top secret clearance working with the Air Force. She helped develop the Distance Early Warning Line, an early warning radar program designed to protect us from a Soviet attack over the North Pole. Mary retired in 1984 after forty-one years of service to this country. Mary advanced from a GS1 to a GS11 which was quite an accomplishment for any woman of the era. Mary was blessed with good health and a sharp mind until her final day.

Mary’s passing marks the end of the lives of three wonderful sisters Mary, Elizabeth, and Johanna O’Neill. They lived their entire lives together and were only briefly separated by the passing of Johanna and Elizabeth in 2019. During her final moments, Mary could be heard calling out to her sisters as they reunited to guide Mary to Heaven. Mary, Betty, and Johanna were collectively known as ‘the girls’’ to friends, “the aunts” to many and “the package” to certain family members. Their kindness, generosity, Christian spirit, and grace positively impacted the lives of many.

Mary was predeceased by her brother and sister-in-law, John and Joan O’Neill, her sisters Johanna and Elizabeth O’Neill, and nephews Dennis and Kevin O'Neill. She is survived by her nephews and their wives, John and Susan O’Neill, Terrance and Maureen O’Neill, Colin and Lisa O’Neill, Timothy O’Neill and his partner Maia Maggadini, as well as several great nieces and nephews. 

The O’Neill family wishes to acknowledge and thank the staff of Connecticut Senior Home Care and Collete Lessard for the compassionate care provided to Aunt Mary.

Family and friends may call on the John F. Tierney Funeral Home, 219 W. Center St. in Manchester, on Saturday, February 4^th, 2023, from 9-10:30 a.m. with a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Bridget Church, 80 Main Street, Manchester at 11:00 a.m. Burial to follow at St. James Cemetery.