T. Maurice O'NEILL

ONEILL, CHAMBERS, ZAJIC, DOWDLE, PAULSEN

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 1/20/2008 at 10:33:12

T. Maurice O'Neill age 88, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, passed away January 11, 2008 at Risen Son. Maurice was born in Clarion, Iowa on July 15, 1919 to Hugh and Delia Chambers O'Neill. Maurice graduated from Clarion High in 1927 and attended Loras College in Dubuque before graduating from St. Louis School of Mortuary Science. Maurice married wife Marie on June 12, 1944 and moved to Council Bluffs to work for Beem-Belford Funeral Home. In 2000, the O'Neills merged with the Cutler Funeral Home to start Cutler-O'Neill-Meyer-Woodring Funeral Home. Maurice worked until the age of 86 when he retired for health reasons.

He is preceded in death by his parents, sisters, Helen and Eileen, and brothers, Francis and John. Survivors include his wife, Marie; daughters, Nancy Dowdle and husband Jim, of Clive, Iowa, Colleen Paulsen and husband Greg, of Hartley, Iowa, Kathleen Zajic and husband Mike, of McClelland, Iowa; sons, Pat and wife Joanne, of Chesterfield, Mo., Rev. Thomas of LaCrosse, Wisc., Jim, of Yorktown, Va., Tim and wife Sally, Dan and wife Alison, all Omaha, Neb., Steve and wife Sherry, Matt and wife Michelle, all Council Bluffs; 24 grandchildren; 4 great grandchildren; nieces; nephews.

Maurice is a member of St. Peters Church; honorary member of Knights Of Columbus #1045, where he served as financial secretary for 26 years; charter member, past president, past district governor of Sierra Club International, where he received the Serran of the year award in 1997; Mercy Hospital Heritage Award winner and former board member; former Pottawattamie County Coroner; charter member of the Southwest Iowa Educational Foundation; Downtown Kiwanis member and charter member on the St. Albert School Board, their Educational Foundation, served on various fund raisers at the school and became a member of their Wall of Fame. Maurice also served on the Municipal Housing Board and was moderator at Iowa Western for funeral directors and was Master of Ceremony for many events including the roast for Governor Terry Branstad.

Visitation with the family, Monday 2:00-4:00 p.m. at Cutler-O'Neill-Meyer-Woodring Home and 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Queen Of Apostles Church. Wake service at 7:00 p.m. at church. Mass Of Christian Burial Tuesday 11:00 a.m. Queen of Apostles Church. Interment St. Joseph Cemetery with lunch following at church. Memorials to St. Albert Schools preferred.

The Daily Nonpareil, Council Bluffs, Iowa
1/13/2008