ROBERT S. O'NEILL; US Army Air Force B-24 and B-29 pilot

ROBERT S. O'NEILL

Robert S. "Bob" O'Neill of Lansing, NC passed away peacefully on Monday, September 16, 2019 at age 96.
He was born in Jacksonville, FL on May 24, 1923 and was a long time beaches resident..
He was married to his beloved wife, Ruth, for almost 69 years. He was the patriarch of the O'Neill/Hoffman family that includes seven children, nine grandchildren, great grandchildren, one great, great grandchild and many nieces and nephews. To all of them, he was a sweet, well respected man of constant wisdom and calm who everyone could count on. He was a good father, a good provider and his life and his home were always welcoming and full of family, friends, and love.
He served in the Army Air Corps as a B-24 and B-29 pilot during World War II, began work in radio and television, and spent 35-year career as a field engineer with IBM. Bob and Ruth retired to the mountains of North Carolina in 1987. They were active in Parish of Holy Communion where Bob served as a docent at St. Mary's and Holy Trinity. He maintained a strong faith throughout his life and spent much of his time working at the church, driving his fellow parishioners to and from doctor appointments and caring for his wife as her health declined.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Ruth; sons, Dennis, Kenneth and Russell; daughter, Ruth Ellen; and daughter-in-law, Sherry O'Neill. He is survived by children, Robert W. O'Neill (Cherie) of Jacksonville, Gordon F. O'Neill (Nancy) of Marietta, GA and Lacy O'Neill Hamilton (Mark) of Charlotte, NC; daughter-in-law, Marianne O'Neill of Starke, FL; and his many grandchildren, great grandchildren, a great-great grandchild, nieces and nephews.
Family and friends will hold a memorial service at 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 28th, at Trinity Episcopal Church, St. Augustine, Fl. With Rev. David Wilt officiating. A service of internment will be held at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Glendale Springs, NC at 10 a.m. on Saturday, October 19, 2019.

Published in The Beaches Leader on Sept. 26, 2019