Obituary for Barbara Anne O'Neill (Harris)
WATERVLIET - Barbara Anne (Harris) O'Neill passed away on April 11, 2023. Her 19 month journey with lung cancer is complete. She was a few weeks shy of her 61st birthday.
Barbara spent most of her youth in Watervliet, the youngest child of Phyllis and the late Bob "Hack" Harris. She was, in fact, quite a bit younger than her "Irish Triplet" brothers: Pat (Carla) Harris, Brian (Andrea) Harris, and Roger (Susan) Harris.
She was also significantly younger (more than 5 years!) than Ed O'Neill, whom she married in 1996, and she referred to herself as his "child bride", but around the Little League fields of Watervliet, in the 2000's, she was better known as "Jimmy O'Neill's mom".
Barbara studied occupational therapy, first at Maria College and later at Dominican College. She had a long and successful career in OT, the best part of which was spent at Waterford-Halfmoon Schools. She dearly loved working with the kids there, and the feeling was definitely mutual.
Barbara had a special relationship with her nephew Stephen (Kate) Harris, who as a teen came to reside with her, Ed and Jim. Steve and Kate's boys, Avery and Austin Harris, were a tremendous source of joy in Barbara's life.
Barbara loved many things: craft fairs, James Taylor, Dunkin' coffee, her mother's cooking, TV, the ocean, country décor and Christmas.
But most of all she loved family, and she loved people, and people loved her. She was kind, thoughtful, and incredibly brave, and the world is poorer for her passing.
A funeral Mass for Barbara will be celebrated by the Reverend Donald L. Rutherford on Monday at 9:30 am in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish Church, 7th Avenue at 25th Street, Watervliet and the Rite of Committal and interment will follow in St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Watervliet. Friends are invited to attend and may also visit with Barbara’s family on Sunday from 3 until 6 pm at the Parker Bros. Memorial, 2013 Broadway, Watervliet.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donating, in Barbara's memory, to Night Out For You. www.nightoutforyou.org/donate/
Barbara spent most of her youth in Watervliet, the youngest child of Phyllis and the late Bob "Hack" Harris. She was, in fact, quite a bit younger than her "Irish Triplet" brothers: Pat (Carla) Harris, Brian (Andrea) Harris, and Roger (Susan) Harris.
She was also significantly younger (more than 5 years!) than Ed O'Neill, whom she married in 1996, and she referred to herself as his "child bride", but around the Little League fields of Watervliet, in the 2000's, she was better known as "Jimmy O'Neill's mom".
Barbara studied occupational therapy, first at Maria College and later at Dominican College. She had a long and successful career in OT, the best part of which was spent at Waterford-Halfmoon Schools. She dearly loved working with the kids there, and the feeling was definitely mutual.
Barbara had a special relationship with her nephew Stephen (Kate) Harris, who as a teen came to reside with her, Ed and Jim. Steve and Kate's boys, Avery and Austin Harris, were a tremendous source of joy in Barbara's life.
Barbara loved many things: craft fairs, James Taylor, Dunkin' coffee, her mother's cooking, TV, the ocean, country décor and Christmas.
But most of all she loved family, and she loved people, and people loved her. She was kind, thoughtful, and incredibly brave, and the world is poorer for her passing.
A funeral Mass for Barbara will be celebrated by the Reverend Donald L. Rutherford on Monday at 9:30 am in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish Church, 7th Avenue at 25th Street, Watervliet and the Rite of Committal and interment will follow in St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Watervliet. Friends are invited to attend and may also visit with Barbara’s family on Sunday from 3 until 6 pm at the Parker Bros. Memorial, 2013 Broadway, Watervliet.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donating, in Barbara's memory, to Night Out For You. www.nightoutforyou.org/donate/