William O'Connell's Obituary
William C. O’Connell, gentle and compassionate soul housed in an Irishman’s body, passed away peacefully surrounded by those who loved him most on October 13, 2010. Bill had the dubious bragging right of meeting cancer head-on not only once, but twice – and this second time it settled in his pancreas and took him from us earlier than anyone anticipated.
Bill was a native south-side Chicagoan, born to Christopher and Mary O’Connell in July of 1939. He was the youngest and most doted-upon brother of John, Lillian (Paulette, Sister of Mercy) and Marion, along with many foster siblings. In 1963 he married his love, Janet Noeth, and they moved to St. Charles (IL) and started their family – children Julie Ann Read (Rod), Christopher John (Lisa), and Carrie Lynn Jensen (Tim).
Bill and his sweetie Jan retired in 1999, becoming snowbirds living on Long Lake (WI) for part of the year and escaping to Nokomis (FL) once the cold winds of Wisconsin howled. He enjoyed boating and biking, John Wayne movies and a bit o’ Jameson’s, family dinners and doting on his grandchildren Bridget, Noah, Sam, Katie and CJ. Bill leaves a rich legacy of patience, humor, kindness and compassion – he was an excellent listener and a trusted confidante and advisor. We are saddened beyond measure that this fabulous man is no longer with us, and we’re grateful we were able to enjoy him and love him as long as we’ve been able.
A Mass of Resurrection for Bill was held at St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church, Waupaca, Wisconsin on October 15, 2010. A Memorial Mass will be held on Saturday, October 23rd at 10:30am at St. James the Apostle Church, Glen Ellyn, IL. Please, instead of flowers take the time to tell someone how much they mean to you … or, make a contribution to Misericordia (misericordia.com) or the Pancreatic Cancer Network (pancan.org).
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