- Date Of Death: April 22, 2006
- State: Connecticut
Oa(TM)NEIL, JOHN JOSEPH, of Trumbull, died on April 22, 2006, at age 83. Beloved husband of Lillian M. Bechan Oa(TM)Neil, John was born in Malden, Massachusetts on February 13, 1923. He was a Trumbull resident for over forty years. John was a WWII combat veteran flying as a B-17 air crew member in the U.S. 8th Army Air Force. John went on to obtain a bachelora(TM)s degree and mastera(TM)s degree in biology from Boston University and a mastera(TM)s degree in Food Science from MIT. He worked for several major food companies in research and development, including Borden Foods, General Foods, and Beech-Nut. He became Vice President and Editor-in-Chief of AVI Publishing Company until 1978, when he began his own food publishing business, Food & Nutrition Press, Inc., specializing in journals and books for the Food Industry. In 1994, he began publishing books and memoirs of WWII veterans, whose stories were yet untold.
John is survived by his devoted wife Lillian; daughter, Kathryn and husband, Christopher Ziko of Shelton; son, John and wife, Susan of Atlanta, Georgia; daughter Monica and husband Mark Habib of Chico, California; and son, Patrick and wife, Dana of Buckhead, Georgia. He was predeceased by his children, Celine Maura in 1956; and James Francis in 1984. He is survived by his sisters, Kathleen Downing of Needham, MA ; and Rita Bennett of Malden, MA. He was predeceased by his sister, Mary Courtney of Malden, MA ; and Frances “Buddy” Oa(TM)Neil of Stoneham, MA.
He is survived by his ten grandchildren , Victoria and Gregory Ziko, Meghan, Erin Kate and Colleen Oa(TM)Neil, John, Marcus, and Caroline Habib, and Alexis and Lillian Oa(TM)Neil. He is survived by a long list of loving nieces and nephews whose company he enjoyed throughout his lifetime.
