Phillip Raymond O’Neill
Date Of Birth: 11/19/1954
Date of Death: 07/09/2013
Phillip Raymond O’Neill of Portland, Oregon, died on July 9, 2013, at the age of 58. He passed away at home, after a long and courageous struggle with cancer.
Phillip was born November 19, 1954, in Korumburra, Australia, the beloved son of Raymond and Gloria O’Neill. He grew up in rural Victoria. After graduating from St. Paul’s High School, Traralgon, Phillip attended the University of Melbourne, earning his B.A. in English Literature and Political Science. He worked in the Public Service for several years before coming to the U.S. to attend the Creative Writing Program at NYU, earning his M.F.A. there in 1986.
After his Master’s degree Phillip worked as an editorial assistant at Taplinger Publishing in New York, before entering the Ph.D Program in English at NYU, earning his doctorate, on post-colonial literature, in 1993. He subsequently taught English literature at Penn State University, Santa Clara University, and Mt. Hood Community College.
Along with his teaching and academic interests Phillip was also a restorer of old buildings. Together with real estate investments in Portland, Phillip worked on building great homes for his family in Portland and Astoria.
Phillip’s greatest joy was his family. He dearly loved his three daughters, Mairead, Rose and Eavan, and was at his happiest spending with them. Phillip was so proud of his girls and thoroughly enjoyed their different personalities and points of view.
Phillip is survived by his mother, Gloria O’Neill of Traralgon; his children, Mairead, Rose, and Eavan; his three sisters, D’arne O’Neill of Sydney, Carolyn Fickler of Melbourne, Margot O’Neill of Sydney; a brother, Gregory O’Neill of Melbourne; as well as many friends and relatives.
Phillip’s great energy, sense of humor, and love of family will live on in our hearts.