Emmett passed away surrounded by the love from his family at Guelph General Hospital on September 6, 2024.
Emmett is survived by Nancy and their four children: Liam (Genevieve), Monica (Dave), Keith (Josie), and Natalya. He was the grandfather of Eleanor, Charlie, and Isabelle. Emmett is also survived by his brothers Thomas and Christopher (Sharon), his sister Connie (Kevin), his sister-in-law, Maggie (Ken), and his many nephews and nieces. He was predeceased by his parents, Thomas and Miriam, and his younger brother Greg (Leatrice).
Emmett was born and raised in Toronto. His love of hockey and the Leafs started at a young age as the son of a former Toronto Maple Leafs hockey player and Stanley Cup winner, Thomas “Windy” O’Neill. Windy and Miriam raised their five children in the neighbourhood of Etobicoke and later Forest Hill where Emmett made lifelong friends: Barry, Rory, Les, and Bob, among many others.
One of his many passions was music and although The Rolling Stones was by far his favourite, he immersed himself in a variety of genres and artists. Through his love of music he formed a rock band, Genesis 1, and at one of his ‘performances’ he met the love of his life, Nancy. They married in 1975 and moved to London, Ontario, to attend Teachers College and have their first child, Liam. Emmett briefly returned to Toronto to teach at Runnymede Collegiate where he mesmerised his students with the ability to bring humorous, interesting and sometimes downright bizarre examples to the lesson of the day.
In 1982, Emmett and Nancy moved to St. Catharines where he became a teacher for Ridley College and had two more children, Monica and Keith. His favourite times were in the classroom teaching economics and history, and coaching hockey and football. Emmett treasured his four field trips to Russia where he fell in love with Russian literature and culture. These trips were not only educational for the students. Emmett was able to withstand the Canadian winters wearing his Russian fur hat, and Russian language became part of his regular vocabulary. In January 1989, when the Russian Red Army was playing Buffalo during the NHL Soviet Super Series, Emmett used his grasp of Russian language and mannerisms to deceive security in the guise of the Red Army staff. He secured a signed Russian Red Army hockey team photo from the team’s coaches for his 9-year-old son, Liam. Just one of the many superhero-like things he did for his children’s happiness.
In 1991, Emmett and his family moved to Owen Sound where he taught high school and had his fourth child, Natalya. Early on at this new teaching venture, word spread about Mr. O’Neill and students flocked to his classes. There were instances of a history class size doubling in attendance by the end of Week 1 of the semester. When he wasn’t in the classroom, he could be found at one of the beaches on Georgian Bay teaching his kids how to swim, or taking them to the library and teaching them how to read.
He spent many of his summers at the cottage and camping with his wife and his kids. He loved swimming with his kids and throwing them in the lake, taking out the canoe, roasting marshmallows, playing Crazy Eights, and sitting at the end of the dock reading the world’s ‘greatest’ book.
He attended all four of his kids’ hockey games, baseball games, piano recitals, theatre performances, dance recitals and competitions, always armed with a book in hand for any breaks in play. You never saw this man without a book, except while driving through snowstorms to hockey tournaments or when he was coaching baseball to ensure his kids were on the same team as their friends. He was a ‘SuperDad’, somewhat ironic for a man who despised superhero movies!
Emmett moved to Guelph and in retirement, it was no surprise that he did not slow down. He continued his passion for helping people. He became a successful mentor and sponsor for numerous members of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). He also volunteered for a non-profit called Action Read, teaching adults to read, for which he received the Betty Bean-Kennedy Award for Outstanding Literacy Volunteer from the Mayor of Guelph in 2016.
He had the gift of seeing the good and the potential in people and ensuring that they realised it too. He gave his time to others to make their lives better. He would make you realise your strengths and self-worth, and that your life was valuable. He would make you laugh or cry, angry or happy, but everything he did made your own life more meaningful and precious.
Emmett’s father was known for his ‘fisticuffs’ on the ice as well as his mastery in the courtroom, and Emmett channelled that strength, determination and perseverance even more as he battled cancer. Emmett was a fighter until the end, like his dad in hockey. He continued to make his attendance at the ‘nooner meeting’ and trips to the library despite his declining health. He received his 12-year medallion with great pride and emphatically refused to break this achievement even on his last day. He knew before anyone else that his work on earth was done and it was his time to rest from all the ways that he had helped others.
Despite spreading so much love to so many people throughout his life, it was just a small fraction of his heart compared to the love he showed his wife and kids. Of all of his many accomplishments, he was most proud of being a husband and father. He spent his last day in joyful tears and laughter with his wife and kids. Although he knew it was the end, he continued to describe the day as “just like Christmas.”
Life will be far less exciting without Emmett’s love, kindness, stories and wit. He will be greatly missed.
Love you Honey, Daddo and Friend!
The family is inviting friends to join them for a memorial visitation to be held on Saturday, September 21 from 1 pm until 4 pm at the WALL-CUSTANCE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL, 206 Norfolk St., Guelph. Arrangements entrusted to the WALL-CUSTANCE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL 519-822-0051 / www.wallcustance.com.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in memory of Emmett be made to one of the following:
Action Read https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/72282
Mount Forest Louise Marshall Hospital Foundation
Please indicate in the Details section that the donation is in memory of Emmett O’Neill towards the oncology unit. https://louisemarshallfoundation.ca/MFLHF/MFLHF/Donate/Memorial%20Donations.aspx?hkey=71c4a714-d512-468b-a8a6-7564a783f182
Princess Margaret Cancer Centre Lodge https://supportthepmcf.ca/ui/DonateNow/donations/start
A tree will be planted in memory of Emmett JR. O’Neill in the Wall-Custance Memorial Forest.