Sheila O'Neill

Sheila was born on February 25, 1947 in New Jersey to the late Thomas and Mary Belle Donohue. She grew up in Hawthorne, New Jersey and attended St. Luke’s Catholic High School. She completed her studies at Kean University in Union, New Jersey with a Bachelors in Arts in 1969. Soon after, she was married to her husband and life partner Michael on June 20, 1970 in Hawthorne, NJ. They moved around the country living in Wisconsin and Maryland before finally settling in Sparta, NJ. After raising four children, Sheila reinvented herself as a career minded woman and threw herself back into teaching at Hamburg Elementary School. She taught art and shared her love of all things beautiful with the children of Hamburg until her retirement after 25 years as an educator. Sheila loved the Jersey Shore throughout her lifetime and enjoyed spending summers at her home in Normandy Shores with family and friends. She cherished being surrounded by loved ones, and found great joy hosting those closest to her. Whether as simple as group pasta after cutting down Christmas trees, holiday gatherings or food for fifty+ at her famous Christmas brunches, Sheila was the consummate and most gracious of hostesses. Sheila found time with her nine grandchildren to be the most precious of commodities. Her loving grandchildren will all deeply miss their “Marmee.”

In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her son, Stephen Sean O’Neill.

She will be lovingly remembered by her husband of 50 years, Michael O’Neill; son, Timothy O’Neill and wife Cathy of Cary, NC; son Stephen’s wife Katie of Morris Plains, NJ; daughter Meghan Holmes and husband Mike of Apex, NC; daughter Brigid Striffler and husband Matthew of Fuquay Varina, NC; brother Tom Donohue and wife Lupe of Brick, NJ; sister Noreen Savaria and husband Paul of Hawthorne, NJ; as well as her nine grandchildren, Patrick, Rebecca, Michael, Aidan, Keiran, Thomas, Abbie, Molly and Maggie.

A small memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 29, 2020 at 4pm at Apex Funeral Home, 550 W Williams St, Apex, NC 27502. Due to the current travel and health restrictions, a live stream of the service will be available and the family is planning a memorial service and celebration of life in New Jersey next spring once conditions allow.

In continuation of her dedication to others and in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Durham Rescue Mission https://www.durhamrescuemission.org/donation/.

Condolences can be shared at apexfuneral.net