Obituary of Patrick Joseph O'Neill

Patrick Joseph O’Neill was born on a cold fall day in Butte, Montana, on October 7, 1926, to Patrick J. O’Neill Sr., and Elizabeth “Lize” Foley O’Neill. He passed away peacefully after a rich and full life, on January 15, 2021, at the age of 94.

When Patrick (nicknamed “Bud”) came into the world, his father was 29 years old, his mother 28, and he already had two older sisters, Betty, 7, and Helen, 4.

When he was just 11 years old, his father, Patrick, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 40. The family continued to live in Butte after his father’s death and Pat attended elementary school and later Boy’s Central High School in Butte, through his junior year.

When World War II broke out, Pat’s widowed mother, Lize, found work near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, at Farragut Naval Training Station, and she moved her family to Coeur d’Alene, where Pat attended the Academy of the Immaculate Heart of Mary School as a senior. It was there he met and fell in love with Carol Virginia “Ginny” Delyea.

As soon as he graduated high school in 1944, Pat enlisted in the U.S. Navy at Fort Douglas in Salt Lake City, Utah. He then went on to flight school in California. While training to be a Navy pilot on aircraft carriers, he lost a finger while jumping a fence and had to take an honorable discharge from the Navy.

After an extended hospital stay, Patrick returned home to Coeur d’Alene. It was then that he married Ginny, the love of his life, on a cold snowy day, January 4, 1947, at St Thomas Catholic Church, surrounded by family and friends. When they began their life together, they were both just 20 years old. At the time, people said they were too young to last, yet they were married 68 years.

Together, they moved to Spokane, Washington, where Patrick attended Gonzaga University. While he attended college, Pat worked for Appliance, Parts & Services, and he and Ginny started their family. Four years later, in 1951, Pat graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering and already had three children at home. He then moved the family to Seattle, where he continued his work at Appliance, Parts & Services. On weekends, he worked for his brother-in-law at Chris’ (Danish) Bakery, baking bread and creating new ice cream flavors. One more child was added to the family while in Seattle.

The O’Neill family then moved to Everett, Washington, where Patrick began his career as a chemical engineer with Weyerhaeuser in 1954, working in the lab, creating new lines of pulp and paper products. During that time, Patrick took on additional jobs, “moonlighting” to make ends meet. He worked as a longshoreman, tying up ships as they arrived at the dock in Everett, and as a phlebotomist, drawing blood at Providence Hospital. In addition, he volunteered at Perpetual Help Catholic Church as the President of the “Mother’s Group” (like PTA), and taught Catholic faith to the youth. The O’Neill family lived in Everett from 1954 to 1963, and Pat and Ginny welcomed five more children to the family, totaling nine.

In 1963, Pat was transferred by Weyerhaeuser to Aberdeen to work as the Assistant Technical Director for Pulp & Paper in Cosmopolis, Washington. He was active in St Mary’s Catholic Church during his years in Grays Harbor, as well as the Lions Club, Rotary and the Grays Harbor Country Club. Three more children were born while the family lived there until 1968.

Patrick then transferred to Weyerhaeuser’s Federal Way Corporate Headquarters in 1968 and moved the family to Tacoma. He took on the title of Fiber Supply Manager and traveled extensively to Japan, Taiwan and other countries, negotiating the sale and purchase of shiploads of lumber and other wood products. Patrick loved to travel and even learned to speak Japanese. He would arrive back home with stories to share with the family, as well as gifts and photos of his adventures.

After his youngest child was born in 1971, Pat was promoted to the job of Raw Materials Manager for Southwest Washington, in Cosmopolis. He moved the family to Aberdeen, where they lived until his retirement in 1983.

After retirement, he and Ginny sold the family home and downsized, once all the children were out of the house, and took up residence in Tumwater, Washington, close to many of the O’Neill children. Pat and Ginny soon became well known, and were active members of St. Michael Church in nearby Olympia.

Patrick is preceded in death by his parents, Patrick and Elizabeth; his two sisters, Helen and Betty; his wife, Virginia “Ginny”; his daughter, Patricia (Leslie)Williams; sons, Daniel Joseph O’Neill and Michael James O’Neill; and sons-in-law, Leighton (Christine) Carr and Richard (Kathleen) Sande.

He is survived by 10 of his children: Kathleen Sande, Christine Carr, Maureen O’Neill, Mark O’Neill, Shawn O’Neill, Elizabeth (Alan) Lee, Monica (Gregory) Davis, Carol O’Neill, Peggy (Tim Butterfield) O’Neill, and Lena O’Neill.  His legacy also will be carried on by 27 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the fund established at Twin Star Credit Union in Olympia to assist the Love and Compassion Adult Family Home in Tumwater. Donations can also be sent to Monica Davis at 3310 75^th Avenue SE, Olympia, WA 98501.

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