O'Neil, Thomas Frederick
Thomas Frederick O'Neil, 85, of Dayton, Ohio, passed away on December 13, 2024, after a courageous battle against Alzheimer's Disease. Born on March 8, 1939, in Dayton, Ohio, he was the beloved son of Edward and Rita O'Neil. Tom is predeceased by his brothers Ed and Jack, and survived by his brother, Jim and his sister, Carol.
Tom met Judy O'Neil while they were youngsters in Dayton, Ohio. They fell in love, married, had children, bought a house and created a beautiful life together. Tom's deep love for Judy, and Judy's unwavering patience with Tom, led to 64 years of marriage. Along the way, Tom and Judy were blessed with 4 sons, Tom (Deborah), Tim (Shawn), Terry, and Ted (Stacey). In an example of Tom's playful sense of humor, each of the four boys bear middle names beginning with the letter K, giving them all the initials "TKO," a boxing term for Technical Knock Out. There are rumors that Judy was unaware of Tom's naming shenanigans until somewhere between the second and third son.
If the measure of a man is the family tree he plants and nurtures, Tom was Johnny Appleseed. Tom and Judy are blessed with 4 boys, 18 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. Tom was never as happy as when he had a baby in his arms or a toddler on his lap. Even in his 80s, Tom was not afraid to roll around on the ground and become a scary monster. Simply put, Tom loved children and he loved his family.
Tom was known for his big smile, sharp mind, booming laugh, and "confident" opinions. Tom loved watching the Cincinnati Reds nightly with Judy (not an easy team to follow for the last 34 years), the Dayton Flyers, and insisted the last great movie worth watching was Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Tom was a voracious reader (consuming 2 or 3 books a week), great at puzzles, and one of the finest nightly Wheel of Fortune players in the world.
Tom was educated at Corpus Christi Grade School, Chaminade High School, and University of Dayton. After his education, Tom's work life was built around Sales. Oh boy, did Tom love to sell. He was a problem solver, a confidante, an active listener, and an educator. Tom felt his work wasn't complete until his clients knew they were making the right decision and getting a great deal. Tom took pride in his work and became an expert in Dayton real estate. Tom served as a Realtor and then appraiser for most of his work life.
Finally, Tom was a "take charge" guy. He volunteered and served in so many capacities. Tom coached baseball, basketball and even soccer (a sport he had never played, so his basic instruction was kick the ball very hard towards the opponent's goal and then everyone run after it--fast). In fact, Tom's coaching soccer was the perfect example of who he was - someone needed to coach the new soccer team, no one knew how to do it, so he volunteered. He bought a book on the rules of soccer, picked up some soccer balls, made the tallest guy the goalie, and cheered loudly from the sideline.
Tom ran the Fish Fry, the Blackjack Tent, cooked brats, set up fields, took down nets, rooted on the sidelines, refereed, and literally went to almost every single game his boys ever played. There was nothing Tom wouldn't do for his boys and their schools. In fact, one time the recording of the National Anthem was forgotten and in front of a stadium of fans, Tom stepped up to sing without lyrics or background music. Let's just say Francis Scott Key would not have recognized the words or the tune that Tom so confidently bellowed that fateful night. Not fazed in the slightest, Tom flashed his winning smile, took a bow, and proceeded back to the booth to announce the game. His legendary performance is still shared in Dayton pubs and bars to this day.
Tom will be missed. Alzheimer's might have taken away his memories of us, but Alzheimer's can never take away our precious memories of him.
At Tom's request, his family will be holding a very small service for immediate family only. Judy and other members of the family appreciate the many prayers along the way. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a gift to the Alzheimer's Association.