Shayne O'Neill Sr.

1952 - 2026

Shayne David O'Neill, Sr. passed away unexpectedly at the age of 73 on February 6, 2026. He was born the son of Bernard and Phyliss O'Neill in Buffalo, NY on November 13, 1952 and grew up with his four sisters in Weston Mills, NY. A wrestler in high school, Shayne went to college on a wrestling scholarship, earning a bachelor's in Business Administration from the University of Buffalo in 1980 and an MBA from the University of Rhode Island in 1986.



His career started at Brown & Sharpe, but it was at General Electric in the 1980s that he came into his own as a manufacturing manager. At GE he managed facilities producing electrical distribution and control equipment, which brought him and his family to Research Triangle Park in North Carolina. In the early 1990s, recognizing that information technology was becoming the new frontier of innovation, he transitioned to Ericsson as an IT Director. He had to travel frequently in his role with Ericsson - later in life he would often regale his children and grandchildren with stories about his trips to Sweden, Singapore, India, and Thailand. Toward the end of his career Shayne joined SAP where, as an IT director and certified project manager, he led the development of data centers, fiber networks, and on-premise solutions for multiple Fortune 500 companies.



Committed to helping others, Shayne dedicated his retirement to service. He served as Board Chair of the Helping Hand Clinic in Sanford, NC, and volunteered with SCORE, where he helped countless entrepreneurs pursue their dreams of running successful businesses. An avid golfer, he also helped organize annual tournaments benefiting the American Cancer Society. Shayne was especially proud of his prize-winning 1969 Chevelle SS, and his love of classic cars led him to found the Chapel Ridge Classic Car Club in Pittsboro, NC.



Shayne is survived by his loving wife, Donna O'Neill; his children, Shayne Miel (Rebekah), Patience O'Neill, and Christine O'Neill Smith; his step-children, Dan Druck (Jenny), Dave Druck (Amanda), and Amanda Mickey (Jody); his nine grandchildren; his sisters Sharron O'Neill, Kathleen O'Neill Harrington (Michael), Cynthia O'Neill Giaquinto, and Sheila O'Neill Brucia (Ric); and many nieces and nephews.



A funeral service will be held on Friday, February 13th at New Salem Baptist Church in Pittsboro. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the American Cancer Society.