LeRoy “Patrick” O’Neil, age 78, of Side Lake and formerly of Johannesburg, South Africa, Hibbing and Duluth, died Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2008, at Solvay Hospice House, Duluth.
He was born Sept. 19, 1929, in Lake City, Minn., the son of LeRoy A. and Helen (Klinnert) O’Neil.
He attended high school in Lake City and Duluth and graduated from Duluth Cathedral Sacred Heart.
On Aug. 7, 1954, he married Rosemary Sullivan at St. Thomas Church in International Falls, Minn.
He had been a member of St. Leo’s Catholic Church and attended the Side Lake Chapel.
He was employed as a purchasing agent at Eveleth Taconite and also worked at P&H, Lake Shore, Inc., and Heule Brothers, all in Hibbing. He also was owner of a Rite-Way Auto in Duluth.
He was a veteran of the Korean War, serving with the 149th Airborne Division from Duluth.
He enjoyed fishing, hunting, bowling and winemaking.
Pat is survived by his wife, Rosemary; his children, Theresa O’Neil of Hibbing, Minn., Mary (Jim) Zahorsky of Chisholm, Minn., Michael (Carrie) O’Neil of Andover, Minn., Peggy O’Neil of Daytona Beach, Fla., and Kelly (Bobby) Rahja of Chisholm, Minn.; grandchildren, Ryan O’Neil, Andrew and Jackie Zahorsky, Erin (Justin) Kelly, Patrick O’Neil, Kevin O’Neil, and Katelyn O’Neil; and brothers, Jim and John O’Neil of Meadowlands.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Howard; and sisters, Mary Blanche, and Peggy.
Visitation will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 10, at Anderson-Daniels Funeral Home, Hibbing, and will continue Monday, Aug. 11, from 10 until the 11 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Chisholm. Fr. Fred Method will be the Celebrant.
Interment will be at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Lake City, Minn.
Casketbearers will be Pat’s grandchildren.
Memorials are preferred to the Solvay Hospice House in Duluth.
Family services provided by Anderson-Daniels, A Bauman Family Funeral Home in Hibbing.
To leave a remembrance of Pat on-line, please see www.baumanfuneralhome.com.