Another member of the “greatest generation” passed away on January 21, 2023 after a lengthy illness at the age of 95.
Vince O’Neill was born to Sabina and Francis O’Neill in Elizabeth, New Jersey on May 8, 1927, and grew up there among a close-knit family and Irish-Catholic community. He attended Sacred Heart grade school and high school, where he and his brother Frank were a dynamic duo on a championship basketball team. Vince became a Brooklyn Dodger fan, to the consternation of the many Yankee supporters in the family.
He missed his high school graduation and left his high school sweetheart, Margaret “Peggy” Ellsworth, behind when he enlisted in the Navy toward the end of World War II. He served on various islands in the Pacific Theater, eventually drawing shore duty in Japan during the post-war occupation.
He returned home after his discharge in August of 1946, and enrolled in Seton Hall University. In 1950 he graduated, married Peggy and joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Following his training at the FBI academy in Quantico, Virginia, he was assigned to the Galveston, Texas office and then to Los Angeles. Vince and Peggy remembered fondly the camaraderie among the FBI families at each location. He was very pleased when the Dodgers followed him to the west coast, and proudly recalled attending the first opening day at the Coliseum.
Vince worked for several years in the Burbank FBI office. He sought and received a reassignment to the Ventura office in 1966. By that time the family included four sons and a daughter, all of whom were excited to move from the San Fernando Valley into a Ventura Keys house near the beach. The family attended Our Lady of the Assumption Church and the four younger kids graduated from Assumption School, where Peggy eventually worked for many years as the school secretary.
All five kids graduated from St. Bonaventure High School and went on to college. Vince retired from the FBI in 1978 and worked for many more years in retail security for the Thrifty Drug Corporation. That job allowed Vince and Peggy to take many trips together to central coast locations north of Ventura County. Vince and Peggy also enjoyed beach days, family camping trips in the Sierra Nevada mountains, visits “home” to New Jersey, and their dream trips to Hawaii and Ireland. They regularly welcomed New Jersey relatives to their home in Ventura.
Vince lost his lifelong love, Peggy, in 2017 after 66 years of marriage. Their son Tim succumbed to melanoma in 1991. Vince was also predeceased by his parents as well as his siblings, Frank O’Neill, Mary Tallman and Alice Anthes.
Vince is survived by sons Vince Jr. (Christie) and Chris (Janette) of Ventura, son Rob (Heidi) of Salt Lake City, Utah and daughter Mary of Bend, Oregon. Vince and Peggy’s ten grandchildren include Shanna O’Neill and her sister Daria O’Neill of Salt Lake City, Luke Losli of Bend and his brother Dr. Matt Losli of Portland, Oregon, Dr. Caitlin O’Neill of Los Angeles and her brothers Corey O’Neill of Los Angeles and Garrett O’Neill (Jessica) of San Luis Obispo, and Colleen O’Neill (Kevin McNulty) of Sherman Oaks and her brothers Dan O’Neill of San Francisco and Casey O’Neill (Maja) of Sausalito. Vince and Peggy’s great-grandchildren are Emerson and Kellen Opgenorth of Sherman Oaks. Another great-granddaughter will be born to Casey and Maja in February of 2023.
Vince’s last years were spent at his home with full-time care. The family is grateful to Celeste Perez and Tiffany Radford, and especially to long-time loving caregivers Maria Elena Gomez, Patty Lopez and Danielle Johnson. Occupational therapist Kayte Gullatt worked wonders as Vince struggled to recover from recent strokes. Housecall Doctors Thousand Oaks, Farmers Home Health and Livingston Memorial Hospice all contributed to Vince’s care in recent months.
A memorial service and celebration of a life well lived will take place at Assumption Church, 3175 Telegraph Road, Ventura on February 4 at 2:00 p.m., with a reception to follow.
In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations to the St. Bonaventure High School scholarship fund (sbhsvta.org), the Society of Former FBI Agents Foundation scholarship fund (socxfbi.org/SFSA/SFSA/donate), the Museum of Ventura County, a local humane society, or a charity of your choice.