On Saturday September 2nd, Brian O’Neill’s funeral celebration was held at a place he helped to restore in the 1990s, St. Patrick’s Basilica.
Members of the greater community, the Irish community, and the hockey community gathered at the Basilica to say farewell. Sandy O’Neill, daughter, spoke eloquently about Brian O’Neill the family man, offering wonderful insight into the loving husband, father, and grandfather that he was. Bowtie clad NHL Historian Dave Stubbs packed a lot of information and a number of stories into his address. One of the things I took away from his allocution was that the distance between the old Montreal Forum and the Basilica was roughly 41 rink lengths. Who knew? In the days and hours leading up to the funeral, Mr. Stubbs posted some interesting content to social media.
Among the mourners were friends and neighbours, including one man who described Mr. O’Neill as his catcher in a TMR softball league as well as someone who played the occasional tennis with him. Unfortunately I was not able to get his name. Another gentleman described himself as a former neighbour, now living in Ottawa, who was the occasional beneficiary of Mr. O’Neill’s hockey tickets “in the reds”. Also in attendance were current and former NHL folks, including Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, who no doubt Mr. O’Neill had an impact on their professional lives. From the Irish community there were former community award recipients, members of numerous Irish organizations, a former Irishman of the year, a former Chief Reviewing Officer, and presidents Pamela McGovern (St. Patrick’s Society), Kevin Tracey (United Irish Societies), and Danny Doyle (Erin Sports Association). Members of the community offered a modest guard of honour in recognition of Mr. O’Neill’s community involvement, something which I think he would have been pleased to see – modest like the man.
Mr. O’Neill was born on January 25, 1929, Robbie Burns Day, to Stafford Joseph O’Neill and Jane Ferry. He always found humour in the fact that he was born on the most Scottish day of the year (in deference to St. Andrew’s Day, another “most Scottish” day of the year) as a proud Irish Catholic Montrealer. Perhaps piper Sylvain Jetté playing a role in the funeral service was a nod towards Mr. O’Neill’s birthday as well as his sense of humour.
Service to others played a big part in who Mr. O’Neill was. He graduated from both Loyola High School and College, and then went on to earn a Bachelor of Commerce in Economics from McGill University. During his homily Monsignor Francis Coyle spoke about Mr. O’Neill, in the Jesuit tradition, being a “man for others”. Mr. O’Neill certainly was a man for others. His obituary mentions an impressive list of his volunteer activities, where it says “As far as the aspect of service, Brian’s hockey life melded nicely with his countless charitable endeavours. It seemed that he never said no to a request for his time, to advise or sit on a board, or even to donate hockey tickets or paraphernalia to a charity fundraiser. He was the Chair of the St. Mary’s Hospital board and foundation; a member of the Board of Directors of the St. Patrick’s Society of Montreal, as well as its President for two years; the founding Chairman of the Loyola High School Foundation, and a recipient of the Loyola High School Hall of Merit award; a two-term member of the St. Patrick’s Square Foundation; a warden and Chair of the Restoration campaign of St. Patrick’s Basilica; Chair of the Board of Directors of the Federation of Catholic Charities; a board member and Chair of the Sacred Heart School of Montreal Board of Directors; the Erin Sports Association’s Irishman of the Year in 1991 and Grand Marshal for the St. Patrick’s parade in 2006. Service was not only an obligation to Brian, but very much a part of himself.“[1] The obituary failed to mention that he received the St. Patrick’s Society’s Community Award in 2005. That’s totally understandable. An obituary can only be so long.
Mr. O’Neill’s professional career is well documented. After a brief stint at Wallace Publishing, in 1966 he was hired by NHL President Clarence Campbell to be Director of Administration at the National Hockey League’s head office in Montreal. In naming O’Neill to the position, Campbell said “He will, in effect, be my under study…”[2] According to his obituary and to the many media accounts, over the next 52 years, Mr. O’Neill was an instrumental part of many different aspects of the NHL, from expansion, to scheduling, to discipline, to helping former players through the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund, exhibiting more of the Ignatian “men for others” mentioned by Monsignor Coyle in his homily. It was in his disciplinary role that he was most known, and it was widely acknowledged by the players and team owners that Mr. O’Neill was a ”tough but always fair judge”. It was certainly a great honour to him when he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1994, in the Builders’ category.
Throughout the history of the Stanley Cup there have always been two trustees to oversee it. Brian O’Neill was named a trustee of the Stanley Cup by former Supreme Court Justice Willard Estey following the passing of “Red” Dutton, a position he held for some 35 years until his passing.
Brian O’Neill was very much content to get things done in the shadows, be it NHL discipline or anything else he involved himself with. Within the Irish community he was both a leader and someone who was recognized for his leadership. He was the epitome of the community-minded person who gave freely of his time whenever asked and when possible.
His Irish roots go back several centuries on his father’s side. His maternal grandparents eloped from Ireland to Toronto. He grew up in NDG and Montreal West and He was first and foremost a family man, married to Jean Yates for sixty eight years, father of five and grandfather of eleven.
In 1991 the Erin Sports Association named Brian O’Neill Irishman of the Year, feting him on March 16 that year at the Grand Hotel. He was the recipient of the St. Patrick’s Society’s Community Award in 2005. In a March 2005 Nuacht article on his selection as Community Award recipient, Mr. O’Neill said “Most people are willing to do something if asked. Your willingness to volunteer depends on the people who approach you, people like Father Russell Breen, Father Norm Dodge, Don McNaughton. How do you turn these people down when they’ve done so much themselves?” On being named Grand Marshal in 2006 and in observing the many behind the scenes activities, Mr. O’Neill told Nuacht “There are so many things involved, all kinds of events,” Brian noted. “I’m really impressed with how it’s all organized.”
The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the charity of your choice.
[1] Obituaries, Montreal Gazette, July 29, 2023
[2] NHL Appoints O’Neill Administration Head, Montreal Gazette, February 16, 1966, p.19
We, as a Family, are heart-broke. Our Sister was a real fighter and fought bravely right until the end. She passed with dignity with her Family by her side. Keeping her positive attitude and putting on a brave face for her nieces and nephews. She has touched so many in her short time with us. One of a kind, who will not ever be replaced. Please do not be sad for her but celebrate the good times you have shared together and be happy that her soul has been released to join the many others waiting for her.
To say this news was a shocker is an understatement. Sharleen was a year ahead of me in my brother’s graduating class at St. Thomas More Elementary in Verdun in (I think) 1979. But I really didn’t know her then. I was more aware of her cousins Brent and Derek, Brent being in my year and Derek in my sister’s 5 years after. I suppose had I gone to Verdun Catholic Comprehensive High School that Sharleen would have had ample opportunity to “kick me in the arse” both figuratively and physically… and it would have mostly been deserved on my part. Sharleen didn’t suffer fools lightly and in those years (and some would say even now) I was a fool.
United Irish Societies of Montreal Historian's Corner 