Timothy Henry O'Neil

During the early morning hours of June 7, 2025, Timothy Henry O’Neil, Jr., awoke in the arms of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He was 92.

Graveside service will be held at 1 p.m. June 28, 2025 at Greenwood Cemetery, where he will be laid to rest next to his late wife Betty Baggett O'Neil. 

Tim’s life began in Lawrence, Massachusetts, on January 29, 1933, being the first-born child of Timothy Henry O’Neil and his wife, Margaret Kamal O’Neil. He came from humble beginnings, often sharing fond memories of picking apples in an orchard on Apple Valley Street and riding his bicycle to the icehouse to pick up ice for the icebox. As Tim grew up, the values his mother instilled in him took root. His work ethic was strong. His integrity was admirable. His leadership skills recognized. As a matter of fact, his high school classmates at Methuen High voted him class President each of his 4 years – freshman, sophomore, junior and senior years. He was no slouch as an athlete either. Tim lettered in track, basketball, baseball, and football. On the football field, his play at quarterback resulted in scholarship offers from numerous colleges such as Dartmouth, Virginia, Alabama, Boston College, and Virginia Military Institute. After several college visits, the values of VMI won out where he accepted a full scholarship to play football.

Tim loved VMI. He began his tenure as a cadet in September 1951. He embraced the VMI life for 4 years. His athletic talent became legendary until an injury in the fall of 1953 ended his football career. However, another talent emerged. His voice. A baritone/bass voice that would soothe the most tender ears but could rattle a room like an earthquake. He found a place in the VMI Commanders, where he provided lead vocals for the Glen Miller style band. He became quite well liked. This quip about Tim in the 1955 VMI annual, The Bomb, put it this way:

From way up North Tim came to V.M.I. to become one of the most popular men, not only at V.M.I. but at nearly every female school in Virginia. He proved himself a fine athlete in the sports and if it hadn’t been for a football accident during his third class year he would have certainly become one of the finest football players ever to attend V.M.I. We are sure Tim will go far with his winning personality and warm smile if he would only leave the women alone for a while.

On June 7, 1955, Tim graduated from VMI with a Bachelor of Science degree having majored in civil engineering.

One afternoon in Lexington, Virginia, a beautiful Southern Belle sitting at the soda fountain in McCrum’s Drug Store caught Tim’s eye. He discovered she was a student at Southern Seminary and Junior College for Women. After a blind date and a 2-year courtship, Betty Gayle Baggett of Clarksville, Tennessee and Timothy Henry O’Neil, Jr., were married on September 11, 1956.

As Tim and Betty Gayle began their married life, Tim took an engineering job in Baltimore, Maryland. While in Baltimore, Margaret Louisa O’Neil was born. Tim often said Margaret’s birth gave his life purpose. This led Tim to seeking out an engineering position with Chrysler’s Space Division working with NASA. The O’Neil family moved to Huntsville, Alabama in 1960.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration was in its infancy. Tim worked on aspects of the design and development of the Saturn rockets used in the Apollo program specifically fuel tank design. Prior to a launch, a forklift ran into the rocket’s fuel tanks. The launch was in question so Dr. Wernher von Braun, Director of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center said, “Get O’Neil on the phone.” After sharing the facts, Tim was asked, “Do we launch?” Tim analyzed the facts and weighed the risks. His reply – “Launch.” The launch was successful! Tim grew up that day. Later, the O’Neil family grew too with the birth of Timothy H. O’Neil, III.

In August 1965, Chrysler transferred Tim to the Marshall Space Flight Center’s Michoud Assembly Facility. The O’Neils moved to Slidell, Louisiana, arriving one month before Hurricane Betsy hit the Gulf Coast. Welcome to Louisiana! After landing men on the moon in 1969 and several more years with Chrysler, Tim decided it was time for a change.

In 1974, Tim opened a small twin movie theater in Slidell’s Northside Plaza. From this small beginning, O’Neil Theatres grew into a large, thriving, independently owned theater chain consisting of nearly 300 screens spanning the southeast as well as New England. The respect the theater industry had for Tim’s success led to him becoming President of the Louisiana Theater Owners’ Association. Later in life, Tim became the CEO of AXIS, a multimedia entertainment complex startup involving one of his nephews.

Loving engineering, Tim started O’Neil Construction building single family homes in Slidell as well as designing and building several of his theaters. He even entered the hospitality industry by owning and operating The 2nd Story Lounge & Restaurant in Olde Towne Slidell, a local hot spot during the disco days of the 70’s & 80’s.

Tim and Betty Gayle loved Slidell. They were members of the First United Methodist Church on Erlanger Avenue. Tim’s love for singing led him to the church choir. He relished being the soloist for “Oh Holy Night” and “The Lord’s Prayer” at the church’s Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. People would often tell him how his singing of those songs would give them goosebumps.

Tim embraced Slidell’s Little Theater although how that came about was a bit unorthodox. One evening while living on Country Club Boulevard, it was time for supper and Little Timmy was out in the neighborhood exploring creeks and bogs. Thinking nothing about it, Tim goes to the front door and begins to bellow, “Timmeeeeeeeee, Timmeeeeeeeee.” Shortly after a neighbor came to Tim and said, “You should try out for the Little Theater.” The rest is theatrical history. In addition to many supporting roles, Tim went on to play the lead in notable musical productions like Kiss Me Kate, South Pacific and, the one Tim most embraced, Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha. Until his death, “The Impossible Dream” from Man of La Mancha was a song by which Tim patterned his life. Consistent with his love of singing, Tim was also a member of The Four Gents, a barbershop quartet out of Slidell.

Tim’s business success and leadership abilities secured him a place on the Board of Directors of First Bank of Slidell. Tim was encouraged by community leaders to run for and was elected as a St. Tammany Parish Police Juror.

Throughout his life, Tim was grateful for the Lord’s blessings. He used his God given smarts and talents to live his life to the fullest. He became a very accomplished man. If Tim dreamed it, he did it! No task was too big; too small; too important; or too insignificant. No matter what the job was, he believed in always doing his best. Tim never met a stranger. He always had a smile on his face. He was kind to everyone even if they didn’t deserve it. To Tim, the most important aspect of his worldly life was FAMILY! Tim was deeply loved by those who knew him. He will be missed!

Tim is preceded in death by his mother, Margaret Kamal O’Neil, and father, Timothy Henry O’Neil; his wife of 57 years, Betty Gayle Baggett O’Neil; his sister, Loretta O’Neil Simmons; and, his brother-in-law, Coy D. Baggett, Jr. He is survived by his daughter, Margaret O’Neil Fleming (George); his son, Timothy Henry O’Neil, III; his grandchildren, Lauren Fleming Burdette (Tyler), Blaire Fleming Arney (DJ) and Timothy Henry O’Neil, IV (Shannon); his great-grandchildren, Tyler Andrew Burdette, II, and George Henry Burdette; his brother, Daniel Charles O’Neil (Pat); his nephews, Daniel Richard O’Neil (Lyn) and their children, Timothy Michael O’Neil (Kim) and his children and the children of his late sister; his sister-in-law, Jo Ann D. Baggett and her sons, James Matthew Baggett (Marla) and their children and William Jason Baggett.

In Lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to American Heart Association at www.heart.org or Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, VA at www.vmi.edu/academics/support/

Online condolences may be made at www.navefuneralhomes.com