Thomas Whyte O'Neil

1937 - 2025

Thomas Whyte O'Neil
January 22, 2025
Thomas Whyte O'Neil, aged 87 and longtime resident of Guilford, passed away on Wed., Jan 22 at Twin Maples Nursing Home in Durham. Tom was born on February 21, 1937 in Amityville, NY to Charles and Elizabeth Whyte O'Neil. He was predeceased additionally by his three brothers Charles Roderick, Terrance, and John O'Neil as well as a nephew Timothy O'Neil. Tom spent his grade school years in Mountain Lakes, NJ and then moved to Highland Park, IL in 1949 where he attended high school at Loyola Academy in Chicago. Tom received his Bachelors of Arts in English from Holy Cross College in 1959. Later in life he went on to receive his MA from Southern University.
Tom was a Navy ROTC and after college was deployed to Norfolk, VA where he joined the crew of the Destroyer USS Henley, first traveling around the Mediterranean where he picked up his deep love of other cultures, and being part of the Cuban Missile Blockage in 1962 after the failure of the Bay of Pigs Invasion. He finished his Navy career on the USS Putnam. During this time he also went to Justice school in Newport, VA and became a Naval prosecutor. Tom loved the Navy and his most favorite stories to tell were of his time as an officer with his fellow sailors.
After the Navy, Tom moved to Washington, D.C. where he started his career as the librarian at the New York Herald Tribune Washington Bureau and soon met his future wife. Tom's career was varied, but by far his favorite experience was becoming a teacher. As an adjunct professor, especially at his beloved Gateway Community College, he connected with students in profound ways. Continuing as a freelance writer he contributed to countless newspapers and magazines and was a ghost writer for those needing help with their autobiographies. In the early 2000s he co-wrote two books with forensic scientist, Dr. Henry Lee; Cracking Cases and Cracking More cases.
Tom and his family moved from Princeton, NJ to Branford, CT in 1977 where they lived in Stony Creek for 23 years. In 1999 they moved to Guilford where they enjoyed the past 25 years.
Tom leaves behind his wife of 59 years, Emily (Rosensteel) O'Neil. He will be missed by his son, Thomas O'Neil and his wife, Elizabeth, and his daughter, Margaret (Meg) Teape and her husband, Michael. He was loved by his four grandchildren Patrick, Paige, Emily and James. Tom was grateful for his close relationship with his brothers and sisters in-law. His numerous nieces and nephews, and great-nieces and great-nephews, have provided him much joy.
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Saint George Church, 33 Whitfield St., Guilford on Sat., Feb 8 at 10 a.m. Burial with military honors will follow at St. Agnes Cemetery, Branford. A reception will follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Sarah Foundation and Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter. Arrangements in care of the Guilford Funeral Home, Guilford. To share a memory, visit www.guilfordfuneralhome.com