William “Bill” Francis O’Neill
Surrounded by his loving family, William “Bill” Francis O’Neill, died peacefully on September 8, 2024, in Cedar City, Utah. Bill faced his death with grace and fortitude, often expressing gratitude for the wonderful life he lived. Bill is survived by his beloved wife Maria of Cedar City, daughter Maryjean O’Neill of South Jordan, son Liam (Afton) O’Neill of Leesburg Virginia, and four dear grandchildren: Lincoln 13, Amara 6, (Maryjean) Remi 4, Quinn 1, (Liam and Afton), as well as his sister Katheen O’Neill and partner Michaela O’Neill of Seal Beach, and his first cousin and “brother” Don (Ann) Barnes of Cedar City. Bill full-heartedly cherished his roles as husband, brother, father, and “Papa” to his grandchildren. Wise, wickedly funny, and infinitely compassionate, Bill was an exemplary man whose presence will be missed every day.
Bill began his life in California. Born on October 4, 1942, in Glendale to John Woodrow O’Neill of Chicago and Jean Lorraine Barnes O’Neill of Vancouver, Bill grew up in La Crescenta and La Canada and attended the public schools in Pasadena. The women in Bill’s early life were hugely important to him. His grandmother sang “Danny Boy” to him; his mom played “Meditation from Thaïs” on the violin. Bill was endlessly proud of his mom, who worked in the 1950s as a “computer “ at the famous NASA Jet Propulsion Lab. At UCSB, Bill majored in history and was captain of the Gaucho track team. The fastest member on the team (a gift Bill inherited from his mom), Bill ran the 100- and 200-dash and anchored the 4 x 100 relay. After earning a teaching credential and Masters degree at UCSB in history, Bill taught at La Colina Junior High in Santa Barbara for 13 years.
As sharp-witted as he was fleet of foot, Bill inspired countless students with his passion for history and his exacting standards. His favorite subjects were events of intense conflict that raised hard questions about social responsibility, justice, and equality: WWI, the Great Depression, the Civil Rights Movement. Although Bill reminded his students that the only lesson history teaches is that humans don’t learn from the past, Bill never lost hope that one day we might.
When in Dublin during a research sabbatical, Bill met the love of his life, Australian-born Maria Jackman. Bill and Maria were married the following year at the San Roque Catholic Church in Santa Barbara, moving soon thereafter to Australia, which Bill considered his second home. Settling in the port city of Geelong, Victoria, Bill taught American, European and Australian History at Sacred Heart College, a Catholic girls school. (“At Sacred Heart we used to try Kaiser Wilhelm II for war guilt. The 11th grade girls really got into it, dragging the trial on for a whole month.”) During their years in Geelong, Bill and Maria were blessed with a daughter, Maryjean, and a son, Liam Michael, the lights of their lives. After eight years in Geelong, Bill and Maria decided to return to the U.S. Bill told the story: “When the realtor called with an offer on our house, I was just sitting down to watch the Australian Rules Grand Final. As I said yes to the offer, the band began to play Waltzing Matilda. At that point I realized I’d become Australian.” Bill was always ready to offer an in-depth analysis of that great bush ballad, the unofficial Aussie anthem.
Back in the U.S., Bill and his family landed in Cedar City, where Bill began working Southern Utah University as director of the Upward Bound program for low-income and first-generation high school students. Among his most memorable achievements was arranging internships for Navajo students at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts. Bill went on to serve as administrator for Southern Utah University and Utah Technical University (Dixie College), and as a grant-writer for University of San Diego. He often said that his years teaching middle school kids were the ideal preparation for dealing with university faculty.
As proud as he was of his kids and grandkids and former students, BIll remained modest about his own enduring influence and formative role in their lives. A voracious reader, Bill was especially fond of quoting historian David McCullough, who said, “There’s no such thing as a self-made person, never was or will be.” Even so, Bill had his own ideas about self-invention: “Certainly everything I put off to luck in my life was more than that.” A man of faith and tireless work on behalf of others, Bill had an indelible hand in helping everyone in his circle to become the best versions of themselves. May the many grieving folks Bill has left behind go on now to live lives that reflect the hopes Bill had for us.
Bill and his family want to express gratitude for the care provided by the staff of the Cedar City Cancer Center, especially Drs. Perkins, Corry, and Ashton, and RNs Atlanta and Laramie.The family would also like to thank Sun Tree Home Health & Hospice, in particular Ethan Bunker and Janelle Brown for their support and care of Bill in his last days.
A funeral mass in Bill’s memory will be held at Christ the King Catholic Church, 690 South Cove Drive, Cedar City, Utah, on October 7th at 11 am. The service will be follow by a celebration of life at the church.