- Date Of Birth: July 10, 1925
- Date Of Death: March 20, 2021
- State: Arizona
Walter O’Neill, a long-time resident of Fountain Hills, AZ, died while in hospice care on Saturday, March 20, 2021.
Born in Chicago to Walter O’Neill Sr and Mabel Bomfield on July 10, 1925, Walter was preceded in death by his wife, Hildegard O’Neill (nee Ehrich) in 2016, daughter Karen (1953), brother John (2017), and sister Patricia Cooper (2017).
Walter is survived by his four children and their spouses, Kevin (JoLynn), Kathy (Ed) Nelson, Michael (Wilma), and Mary (Dave) Ryberg; five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Walter had two great loves in life: Hilde and his children. Though he grew up in a time of great uncertainty (having survived the Great Depression as a child and WWII as a teenager), he steadily built a life of love, safety, and security for his family.
Walter was 22 and serving in the Coast Guard when he first met Hilde at a Spring dance at a local church. They fell madly in love and within a year they were married. A honeymoon cabin in Wisconsin awaited them, but honeymoon plans were sidelined when Walter received orders for an immediate tour of duty in the territory of Hawaii. After spending their wedding night in Chicago, Walter was shipped out to Oahu.
Upon arriving in Hawaii, Walter went AWOL to call Hilde and implore her to come to Hawaii as soon as possible. She agreed, but in those days it still took two months to make the journey. Walter and Hilde spent their first magical year of marriage in Hawaii. Their first son, Kevin, was born on Oahu. He would always be their “Hawaiian souvenir.”
After returning to Chicago, Walter worked at Poole Brother’s Printing for 25 years. During that time four other children were born. Their third child, Karen, unfortunately died of health complications a few days after her birth. The other children, however, were healthy and a continuous source of joy and pride for Walter and Hilde. They, and the grandchildren and great grandchildren, warmed Walter’s heart until the day he died.
Walter and Hilde retired to Bloomington, IN in 1991, and then moved to Fountain Hills in 1995. They were happily married for 67 years. Walter loved their desert home and community of friends. He enjoyed golfing and tournaments, game nights with Hilde and friends, volunteering at the local hospital, secretary to the local American Legion, and being an active member in their church (The Church of Ascension). At home, he nurtured a beautiful garden and created a welcoming haven for family and friends. Walter loved to laugh, share a good meal and glass of wine, talk about current interests, and reminisce about the good old days. He was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend.
