The hardest part about writing a news story encapsulating Roberta Place resident William Patrick O’Neill's life is that it's probably better suited for a book.
Mary Murphy says her parents led a lifestyle many could be very envious of having lived.
“Their passports are something to behold,” she told BarrieToday. “You kind of look at it and think, 'My goodness, that's a lot packed into one life'.”
O’Neill tested positive for COVID-19 on Jan. 10 and died Jan. 28.
At age 97, O’Neill is one of the many who have lost their lives to the Roberta Place outbreak that was declared by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit on Jan. 8.
As of Wednesday, 66 residents have died after contracting the virus at the Essa Road facility, and there are 36 active cases among residents at the 137-bed facility.
O’Neill was born in Castledermot, County Kildare, Ireland. As a young man, he spent many years watching his grandfather and uncles repair farm equipment and complete other chores.
“I remember growing up, Dad was always fixing something. He’d be building something out of wood or rewiring old electronics,” said Murphy. “If Mom thought we needed a new bathroom, he’d build a bathroom. He was just very handy and intelligent that way.”
O’Neill attended both Dominican College Newbridge (now Newbridge College) and later Trinity College in Dublin, where he studied physics and mathematics.
Murphy said her dad took great pride in being able to attend such a prestigious university.
O’Neill’s hard work took the family to Ghana, where he was instrumental in the growth of the country’s film and music industry.
“Dad is considered very pivotal in the history of Ghana’s musical history,” Murphy said. “He was chief of the sound department in the Ghana Film Industry Corporation.”
In 1966, O’Neill took a job with Ambassador Records in Kumasi, Ghana, and not only worked there, but set up the entire surrounding for it.
He built the first recording studio and record manufacturing plant in West Africa as well as designed and drew the architectural plans for the buildings.
O’Neill’s obituary tells of how he designed the dam for the nearby river to supply water to the plant, the acoustics for the recording studio, and customized the mixing consoles for recording the music.
“What he accomplished there wasn’t just a job; he really created something that added to the culture and future of the whole country, particularly the music and film industries. He was extremely proud of that,” Murphy said.
Things changed for the family in 1969 when the political climate of the country also changed.
“There was a coup and it was becoming very difficult to buy food and other amenities,” said Murphy. “My parents were slowly sending money to an account in Ireland so as to save to get out of the country. We eventually made our way to Philadelphia.”
From there, O’Neill and his Maura packed up their five kids and moved to Ontario, living in Mississauga, Toronto and Bracebridge before settling in Barrie about 25 years ago on Yeates Avenue, near Yonge Street and Little Avenue.
While the family made Barrie home, O’Neill travelled a lot for work, getting a job in New York State that took him to India and China, where he helped grow their film and recording industries as well.
O’Neill’s wife had previously passed away and, despite being in fairly good health, he started to experience dementia. The family eventually decided to move him into Roberta Place about two years ago.
“Dad had a very hard time with it. He didn’t like it. Someone who has had the life he has, and who is fiercely independent, has a hard time with having to not just live in a home, but deal with the frustrations of dementia,” said Murphy.
The pandemic obviously did not make it easier.
“He was so frustrated that we couldn’t go inside and see him, sometimes being mad at me for not coming to visit him,” Murphy said. “I would have been visiting him at the window and he wasn’t seeing that as a visit. It was very hard.”
A much-used passport and full resume is one way of looking back on the extraordinary life William O’Neill led.
Another way is through the eyes of his children, and how Murphy described him to BarrieToday.
“He was truly larger than life and leapt without caution at the next adventure,” she said. “He was also very quick-witted with a willingness to do what he could to make someone laugh. It was too much for some to handle at times, but others loved it.”
“He was a genius of a man and I’m so thankful to the friends he made in Roberta Place. There were staff who treated him really well in his final days. I’m also very thankful to the other residents there who appreciated dad for who he was.”
